如果CEO問出你不知道答案的問題，該如何應對？

There are a number of reasons why your CEO would spring a tricky question on you. Maybe they're genuinely curious and assume you have the answer. Maybe they're testing you to see whether you can think on your feet.
被CEO問迷之問題的原因有千千萬。有可能只是好奇，覺得你可能知道箇中事情；也可能是想測驗你是否具備獨立思考的能力。

Or, maybe they're evil and will cackle joyously at the sight of you sweating and stammering.
亦或許是你的CEO比較壞，就想滿臉朝笑地開心看着你被問得滿頭大汗支支吾吾。

Regardless of their specific motive, you'll feel better if you're able to stay calm and respond in a way that sounds professional.
不論他們出於什麼動機，如果你能沉着應對並儘量用專業的方式回答，情況都是會好很多的。

According to Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility expert and the author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom," your best bet is to just be honest. Here's an example of what you might say:
作爲一名文明禮儀專家以及《別在會議室打嗝兒》一書的作者，Rosalinda Oropeza Randall提出遇到這種情況最好的應對就是真誠作答。大概要這樣說：

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. I'm happy to find out — I know who to ask."
“對不起，我想回答您但我真的不瞭解。不過對於這個問題我也很有興趣知道答案——我知道我可以問誰。”

"It's a good career move," Randall said. "You acknowledge that you don't know and that you will take action."
“這反映了你有好的職業修養”Randall說道，“因爲你了自己的知識缺失並且樂於補救。”

At this point, your CEO will probably say one of two things: "It's okay; never mind," or "Yes, please, find out."
這樣的話，你的CEO可能會回覆類似這樣的話“沒事的，別介意。”或者“好啊，去找找答案吧。”之類。

If they ask you to find out, Randall said, do it immediately and follow up with them.
如果回覆了後者，Randall建議你最好真的馬上去找到答案，並且告知你的CEO。

Stephen Dubner and Stephen Levitt, authors of "Freakonomics," recommend a similar strategy in this situation. As Levitt said in a 2014 podcast episode, feigning knowledge is counterproductive:
《怪物經濟學》的作者Stephen Dubner 和Stephen Levitt也提出了類似的應對措施。Levitt在2014年的某期語音節目中說道，給出猶豫不確定的答案其實適得其反：

"It might keep your job for another week or another month, it might make people think you are good, but that's not the point," he said. "Really, the goal is to be good and to improve and to learn and to make things better. And the only way to do that is to start by saying, 'I don't know.'"
“這樣回答可能會讓你在一週或是一個月內保住工作，可能會讓別人覺得你棒棒的，但是這都不重要，”他說，“真的，你要做的其實應該是擺正心態通過學習達到提升，讓情況好起來。所以在不確定答案時，你最好說先擺明回答自己不知道。”

Of course, if it was your job to find out the answer to your CEO's question — i.e. if it wasn't a surprise — and you don't have the answer, "you're in big trouble," Randall said.
當然，如果CEO問你的問題是你業務範圍內的——如果這不是個令你摸不着頭腦的問題——但你不知道答案是什麼。“那你可攤上大事兒了，”Randall說.

"Your CEO doesn't have time for excuses," she added. "They want the information. They will remember that you don't have it and move on."
“你的CEO可沒時間聽你解釋”她補充道。“他們想要拿到想要的信息，所以如果你未能提供，那麼他們會記住這件事然後繼續工作。”

While you might not be able to restore your reputation completely, Randall said, you should definitely speak to your manager after the meeting with your CEO. When you're uNPRepared, it makes your boss look bad, too.
Randall這樣建議說，在這種情況下，雖然完全挽回形象不太可能，但是之後去找上司經理談話可是必須的。如果你對問題無解，那麼管你的上司也不好看。
Offer to gather the information this afternoon — but know that at this point, your manager might say, "never mind."
提出自己會馬上收集信息給出答案，但是也有可能你的上司會告訴你“沒關係，別管這事兒了。”

Another option, assuming your manager thinks it's a good idea, is to email your CEO and copy your manager. Include the information you were supposed to bring and tell your CEO that this won't happen again.
另一種選擇是，給CEO發一封郵件並抄送給經理（如果你能確定你的經理可以接受）。附上CEO想要的信息和答案，並且發誓這樣的情況永遠不會發生第二次了。