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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Theory of Constraints | ![]() Agile 4Ls Retrospective | ![]() Agile Mad Sad Glad |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a system that does not get faster despite effort, the method directs attention to the bottleneck. It concentrates improvement on the point that actually limits throughput. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. | When a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h Analyse, laufend | 45–75 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | Team members involved | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint Map, Improvement Plan, Flow Metrics | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions | Emotion Board, Themes, Action Items |
Tagsno overlap | OperationsConstraintsFlowImprovement | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam | RetrospectiveTeamReflection |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.






