View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Innovation Worst Possible Idea | ![]() Operations Kepner-Tregoe | ![]() Operations Fishbone Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a seemingly familiar problem with paralyzing seriousness, the method dissolves pressure and fear of judgment. It deliberately makes failure pictures extreme, so hidden assumptions become visible faster. This clarifies what a workable path should avoid. | For a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-8 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Bad Idea List, Reframed Concepts, Idea Shortlist | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | IdeationCreativityDivergence | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations | Root causeQualityOperations |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.






