Each of us needs to be reminded every now and then that we aren’t nearly as infallible as we think we are; for surely, there is always that one person who is ever so slightly sharper, faster, glibber, better than each of us in any given vocation. Without this consideration, our general predisposition to overestimating our own abilities eventually becomes the bane of us, leading inexorably to the perforation of our over-inflated egos —whether by our own conscious and deliberate action or by life’s disquieting and discourteous interjection.

Analyze the situation. Specify the desired state. Explore the solution options. Select the optimal solution option. Design the solution. Implement the design. Validate the implementation. Deploy the solution. Iterate.