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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Facilitation Six Thinking Hats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The TOWS Matrix connects internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats into action-oriented strategies. It goes a step further than a pure stocktaking. | 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. | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | When a topic gets stuck too quickly in the same thinking mode, Six Thinking Hats deliberately separates the perspectives. This means facts, risks, creativity, and emotional signals get worked through one after another instead of mixed together. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | FacilitationOptionsDecision |