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| Criterion |  Business Strategy TOWS Matrix |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  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 an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 1-2 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-8 | 4-12 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | TOWS Matrix, Strategic Options, Priority Actions | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Perspective Notes, Decision Inputs, Action Items |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisOptions | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | FacilitationOptionsDecision |