· MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH – Back to the drawing board.
· DEVELOPED AFTER YEARS OF INTENSIVE RESEARCH – It was discovered by accident.
· PROJECT SLIGHTLY BEHIND ORIGINAL SCHEDULE DUE TO UNFORSEEN DIFFICULTIES – We are working on something else.
· THE DESIGNS ARE WELL WITHIN ALLOWABLE LIMITS – We just made it, stretching a point or two.
· CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS BELIEVED ASSURED – We are so far behind schedule that the customer was happy to get anything at all from us.
· CLOSE PROJECT COORDINATION – We should have asked someone else; or, let’s spread the responsibility for this.
· THE DESIGN WILL BE FINALIZED IN THE NEXT REPORTING PERIOD – We haven’t started this job yet, but we’ve got to say something.
· A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES ARE BEING TRIED – We don’t know where we’re going, but we’re moving.
· TEST RESULTS WERE EXTREMELY GRATIFYING – It works, and are we surprised!
· EXTENSIVE EFFORT IS BEING APPLIED ON A FRESH APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM – We just hired three new guys; we’ll let them kick it around for a while.
· PRELIMINARY OPERATIONAL TESTS ARE INCONCLUSIVE – The darn thing blew up when we threw the switch.
· THE ENTIRE CONCEPT WILL HAVE TO BE ABANDONED – The only guy who understood the thing quit.
· MODIFICATIONS ARE UNDERWAY TO CORRECT CERTAIN MINOR DIFFICULTIES – We threw the whole thing out and are starting from scratch.