This is an individual (rather than group) technique suitable for both problem solving and idea generation. By going through a structured process — a checklist of words or questions — you can make sure you examine every aspect of a problem or every possible solution.

When you have a complex problem to solve, it is important to be sure that you cover every possible angle to solve it. One of the best ways to do this is with a checklist you can run through. Checklists can be made up of either single words or questions. There are plenty of standard ones around for different problems, or you can develop your own, perhaps by adapting an existing one.

One of the most important things about using checklists is that you must do it properly. It's no good skimming through the list; you need to spend time on every single item on the list — and a long time on some of them — for the technique to work. Although checklists are generally regarded as an individual tool, you can of course use them in a group. You could go through the list and identify the items that provoke most thought and then brainstorm these.

As you go through your checklist, alone or in a group, record the answers, notes and ideas you generate. If you don't find a solution, you should at least have made the problem clearer so you can go on and use another technique to solve it.

The Osborn verbal checklist: One of the most popular checklists of all time is the one devised by Alex Osborn, who also invented brainstorming. This is a checklist for finding improvements for a product or service. Osborn took nine verbs to apply to the product or service, and then added questions to expand on the ideas prompted by each of the nine words. The result is shown below.

Put to other uses? New ways to use as is? Other uses if modified?

Adapt? What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does the past offer parallel? What could I copy? Whom could I emulate?

Modify? New twist? Change meaning, color, motion, sound, odor, form, shape? Other changes?

Magnify? What to add? More time? Greater frequency? Stronger? Higher? Longer? Thicker? Extra value? Plus ingredient? Duplicate? Multiply? Exaggerate?

Minify? What to subtract? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower? Shorter? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Split up? Understate?

Substitute? Who else instead? What else instead? Other ingredient? Other material? Other process? Other power? Other place? Other approach? Other tone of voice? Rearrange? Interchange components? Other pattern? Other layout? Other sequence? Transpose cause and effect? Change pace? Change schedule?

Reverse? Transpose positive and negative? How about opposites? Turn it backward? Turn it upside down? Reverse role? Change shoes? Turn tables? Turn other cheek?

Combine? How about a blend, an alloy, an assortment, an en­semble? Combine units? Combine purposes? Combine appeals? Combine ideas?

Creating your own checklist: The box below contains a group of verbs you might apply to a product or service to find ideas for improving it. It is obviously not exhaustive, but you can add words of your own to these to create your own checklist.

multiply	Divide	eliminate	subdue
invert	Separate	transpose	unify
dissect	Distort	Rotate	flatten
squeeze	complement	submerge	freeze
harden	open up	Melt	heat
soften	fluff up	Bypass	add
subtract	widen	Repeat	thicken
stretch	extrude	Help	protect
fold	shake	Smooth	color
segregate	integrate	symbolize	abstract

The Phoenix checklist: This checklist of questions was developed by the CIA to help agents examine a challenge or problem from every angle. It is a two-part checklist: first it explores the problem and then the plan for resolving it.

 The problem

	Why is it necessary to solve the problem?
	What benefits will you receive by solving the problem?
	What is the unknown?
	What is it you don't yet understand?
	What is the information you have?
	What isn't the problem?
	Is the information sufficient? Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or contradictory?
	Should you draw a diagram of the problem? A figure?
	Where are the boundaries of the problem?
	Can you separate the various parts of the problem? Can you write them down? What are the relationships of the parts of the problem? What are the constants of the problem?
	Have you seen this problem before?
	Have you seen this problem in a slightly different form? Do you know a related problem?
	Try to think of a familiar problem having the same or a similar unknown
	Suppose you find a problem related to yours that has already been solved. Can you use it? Can you use its method?
	Can you restate your problem? How many different ways can you restate it? More general? More specific? Can the rules be changed?
	What are the best, worst and most probable cases you can imagine?

The plan:

	Can you solve the whole problem? Part of the problem?
	What would you like the resolution to be? Can you picture it?
	How much of the unknown can you determine?
	Can you derive something useful from the information you have?
	Have you used all the information?
	Have you taken into account all essential notions in the problem?
	Can you separate the steps in the problem-solving process? Can you determine the correctness of each step?
	What creative thinking techniques can you use to generate ideas? How many different techniques?
	Can you see the result? How many different kinds of results can you see?
	How many different ways have you tried to solve the problem?
	What have others done?
	Can you intuit the solution? Can you check the result?
	What should be done? How should it be done?
	Where should it be done?
	When should it be done?
	Who should do it?
	What do you need to do at this time?
	Who will be responsible for what?
	Can you use this problem to solve some other problem?
	What is the unique set of qualities that makes this problem what it is and none other?
	What milestones can best mark your progress?
	How will you know when you are successful?

Verbal checklists in action: Let's say you manufacture kitchen equipment — blenders, mixers, juicers and so on. Several new competitors have recently entered the market, and competition is tougher than ever. Prices are being driven down, margins are slipping and you need to find ways to cut costs. Trouble is, you've been trimming them for months, you've renego­tiated with all your suppliers, and you're running out of options. You need to come up with something radical.

Try applying a few verbs from your checklist at random. Here are three examples, and the ideas they might generate.

Color  Suppose you reduce the number of finishes and colors your products come in? At the moment, most have at least three options. Cut this to two and you'd cut costs, without necessarily damaging sales.

Bypass          How about selling direct to customers as well as through retailers? Bypass the middle person with a mail order arm of the business, and you could increase your margins substantially.

Protect         What about packaging? All that bubble-wrap to protect your goods in transit is expensive. Maybe you could develop low-cost packaging that still prevents breakages.

Creativity requires spending time "doing nothing" - workaholism guarantees its death

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