It's odd how asking yourself the simple question "What would Bill Gates do?" can bring a clarity-inducing shift of perspective to seemingly intractable problems. I don't why it works, but it does. Depending on the problem you're facing, you can replace Bill Gates with Steve Jobs, or Warren Buffett, or the Pope.
Here are some fictional examples:
Q. What should you do with that troublesome employee who never seems to quite make the grade, no matter how hard you coach him? Should you stick at it, or fire him?
A. What would Bill Gates do?
Q. You're worried about the design of that product. Should you interfere and risk irritating your development team, or let it ship?
A. What would Steve Jobs do?
Q. Should you give up the security of your day job to focus on your mISV, or stay wrapped in the comfort blanket of full-time employment?
A. What would Bill Gates do?
You get the picture.
Got any other problem solving tricks? Post them here …