“Getting Started: Ten Diagnostic Questions 1.What’s my decision problem? What, broadly, do I have to decide? What specific decisions do I have to make as a part of the broad decision? 2.What are my fundamental objectives? Have I asked ‘‘Why’’ enough times to get to my bedrock wants and needs? 3.What are my alternatives? Can I think of more good ones? 4.What are the consequences of each alternative in terms of the achievement of each of my objectives? Can any alternatives be safely eliminated? 5.What are the tradeoffs among my more important objectives? Where do conflicting objectives concern me the most? 6.Do any uncertainties pose serious problems? If so, which ones? How do they impact consequences? 7.How much risk am I willing to take? How good and how bad are the various possible consequences? What are ways of reducing my risk?”