Reverse Brainstorming

Origin. Osborn; the same inversion as Reversal, applied to generation.

Mechanism. Generates causes of failure instead of routes to success, then inverts each into a preventive measure. Failure-mode generation is easier and more specific than success-route generation, for the same reason the premortem works.

Procedure. 'How could we guarantee this fails?' Generate freely. For each item, invert into a preventive control. Rank controls by the cost of the failure they prevent.

Applies to. Robustness, security, reliability, operational design.

Limitations. The inversion of a failure cause is a control, not a design. A system built entirely from inverted failures is defensive and can be correct in every particular while accomplishing nothing.