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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Systems Mapping arranges elements, relationships, and boundaries so a complex field becomes legible at a glance. The overview stabilizes the overall picture before detail work or steering begins. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-12 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | KnowledgeMappingRisk | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |