Phoenix Procedure

Source: Michalko, Michael, Thinkertoys, A Handbook of Business Creativity for the 90s "Blue" Phase: Blue sky, wide open to ideas. Brainstorm any and all alternatives without judgement. The Phoenix Checklist* - "The Problem" Why is it necessary to solve the problem? What bene its will you receive by solving the problem? What is the unknown? What is it you don!t yet understand? What is the in ormation you have? "s the in ormation su icient? #r is it insu icient? #r redundant? #r contradictory? Should you draw a diagram o the problem? $ igure? What is and isn!t the problem? Where are the boundaries o the problem? %an you separate the various parts o the problem? %an you write them down? What are the relationships o the parts o the problem? What are the constants &things that can!t be changed' o the problem? (ave you seen this problem be ore? "n a slightly di erent orm? )ry to think o a amiliar problem having the same or a similar unknown? Suppose you ind a problem related to yours that has already been solved. %an you use it? %an you use its method? %an you restate your problem? (ow many di erent ways can you restate it? More general? More speci ic? %an the rules be changed? What are the best, worst, and most probable cases you can imagine? What are some potential solutions? "Red" Phase: Stop* +valuate alternatives, judge The "Murder Board*, a avorite critical analysis techni-ue used by the %"$. $ Murder Board is a special group o selected individuals that evaluate and critici.e ideas be ore they ar e presented or inal approval and implementation. )he goals o the Board are to:
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)erminate worthless ideas and proposals +0pose all negative aspects o a viable idea so that corrective ac1

tions can be taken be ore inal evaluation and implementation 2rovide eedback

)he group criti-ues the idea, attacking every weakness. " too many weaknesses , the idea is dropped. " still viable, suggest ways to overcome weakness es and improve the idea. "Green" Phase: 3o* )ake action, implement decisions The Phoenix Checklist* "The Plan" %an you solve the whole problem? 2art o the problem? What would you like to the resolution to be? %an you picture it? (ow much o the unknown can you determine? %an you derive something use ul rom the in ormation you have? (ave you used all the in ormation? (ave you taken into account all essential notions in the problem? %an you separate the steps in the problem1solving process? %an you determine the correctness o each step? %an you see the result? (ow many di erent kinds o results can you see? (ow many di erent ways have you tried to solve the problem? What have others done? %an you intuit the solution? %an you check the results? What do you need to do at this time? %an you use this problem to solve some other problem? The Action Plan: What should be done? How should it be done? Where should it be done? Who should do it? Who will be responsible for what? Some techniques include: Brainstorming, mind1mapping, visuali.ation, analogies, -uestioning, uture scenarios, matri0, orce ield analysis, morphological analysis, 4%B grid, diagramming, S%$M2+5: S6substitute?, %6combine?, $6adapt?, M6modi y or magni y? 26put to other uses? +6eliminate or mini y? 56reverse or rearrange? +tc....