Behind every great executive decision lies a smart question. Ask yourself this. Faced with a new budget or strategic choice, a potential employee or a client negotiation, a bright idea or an intractable problem, what questions do you need to ask? To test the projections, tackle the cause of problems, to make the right decision - the answer is simple. Ask the right question. Managers are all too often expected to lead with answers; to approach any situation armed with a company procedure or an off-the-shelf solution, but in an uncertain world, the right question is worth a world of standard answers. Asking the right question is the first step to understanding a business situation, and the first step to finding the right answer.

每一个伟大的行政决策背后都隐藏着一个聪明的问题。问问你自己。面对新预算或战略选择、潜在员工或客户谈判、好主意或棘手问题，你需要问什么问题？测试预测，解决问题的原因，做出正确的决定——答案很简单。提出正确的问题。管理者往往被期望以答案为导向；用公司程序或现成的解决方案处理任何情况，但在一个不确定的世界中，正确的问题值得一个标准答案的世界。提出正确的问题是理解业务情况的第一步，也是找到正确答案的第一步。