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| Criterion |  Facilitation World Café |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Facilitation Fishbowl Discussion |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a group needs to connect many viewpoints in a short time, World Café creates a calm alternation between closeness and rotation. It sets thinking in motion without forcing the conversation into full-plenary rigidity. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | When a controversial topic needs depth and discipline at the same time, Fishbowl Discussion makes the structure of the conversation transparent. The format keeps the core small enough for real dialogue and open enough for controlled turnover. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-180 min | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 12-100+ | 5-30 | 8-80 | 4-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Discussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tags1 shared | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | FacilitationDialogueLarge group | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |