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| Criterion |  Facilitation World Café |  Facilitation Dot Voting |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Facilitation Fishbowl Discussion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 workshop has produced too many options and the group needs to condense quickly, dot voting makes preferences visible in a short time. It bundles individual votes into a solid signal for the next selection. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-180 min | 5-15 min | 1-2 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 12-100+ | 3-20 | 4-12 | 8-80 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions | Ranked list, Consensus signal, Shortlist | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Discussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up Questions |
Tags1 shared | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking | FacilitationVotingConsensusPrioritization | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | FacilitationDialogueLarge group |