21 Ways That Bureaucrats Can Say "No."

1. "Forgetting" about the order.
2. Initiating a never-ending study.
3. Running the project by numerous committees.
4. Citing a legal restriction that lacks substance.
5. Listening intently and then doing nothing.
6. Doing the parts they like and omitting the rest.
7. Claiming that other priorities take precedence.
8. Delaying until the change advocates have left.
9. Delegating the project to a sloth or an incompetent.
10. Doing nothing and then vowing that another department was supposed to handle it.
11. Asserting a belief that the order was just an idea or suggestion.
12. Thwarting action with intentional inefficiency.
13. Leaking stories to critics.
14. Parsing the meaning of the order.
15. Executing with "all deliberate speed" with emphasis on "deliberate."
16. Losing key information.
17. Squandering resources.
18. Redefining the scope.
19. Executing in a manner that will foster opposition.
20. Blaming delay on outside forces.
21. Delaying, then asking for clarification, then delaying, then asking for clarification.