The Concept Fan

Move back and forth (up and down) the concept fan, from ideas to
concepts to directions.

    Ideas--specific concrete ways of putting a concept to work.
    Concepts--general methods or ways of doing something
    Directions--very broad approaches

(my gloss--change the level of abstraction, then take another look)

Move upstream "how does this help?" and downstream "how can this be
carried through?"

Provocative Alternatives

"here is a provocative alternative:  let us see if we can find value in
it"

Evaluation

    Feasible:  Does the idea actually work?  Can the idea be made to
work?

    Benefits:  What are the benefits?  How large?  Where do they come
from?  How durable are they?

    Resources: Are the resources available for implementing the idea?

    Fit:  Does the idea 'fit' the needs of whomever is supposed to
implement the idea?  The concept of 'fit' includes strategy, policy,
personalities, agendas, and so on.