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| Criterion |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Systems Thinking Stock and Flow Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | A Stock and Flow Diagram shows how stocks, inflows, and outflows shape a system over time. It is especially suited when growth, delays, or capacity limits determine the dynamics. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 1-3 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Stock and Flow Model, Dynamics Notes, Simulation Hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | DynamicsSimulationFeedbackSystems thinking |
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