When in charge, ponder
When in trouble, delegate
When in doubt, mumble

Source unknown

Years ago a professor at Stanford devised a check lest of nine questions that can be applied to any problem. Used as a self-quiz, the questions spur imagination. They are:

1. Is there a new way to do it'

2. Can you borrow or adapt'

3. Can you give it a new twist'

4. Do you merely need more of the same'

5. Less of the same'

6. Is there a substitute'

7. Can the parts be rearranged'

8. What if we do just the opposite'

9. Can ideas be combined'

Bits and Pieces, February, 1990, p. 20