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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result. | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 2-4 h | 2-4 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-12 | 3-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |