The CEO announces a new product release in two months. You’re not certain the full-fledged product will be available then–or even what the product will look like. What’s your best first step to meet this goal?

Figuring out why the CEO wants the product and what would constitute an initial success is the best way to maximize your chance of creating a successful outcome in this regard. Does this mean you should blindly go off and do their bidding? No- you should certainly ask questions and do what you can to bring forward your perspective on objectives and the process to get there. That said, the best first step is to make sure you can empathize with their point of view.