Want the Upper Hand? Ask the Dumb Questions.Take it from a journalist: You can learn a lot when you shelve your ego.

My days as a rookie reporter were full ofpanic. I was interviewing people who worked in complex places -- city government, local industry, hospital administration. I wanted them to trust me; I wanted them to think,This kid understands what I'm saying, and will accurately report it.But of course, I didn't understand them. I didn't even understand their language. A local mayor would say "RFP," and I'd nod and make a note to google the letters when I got back to my desk. If I asked what it meant, I figured, the mayor would consider me a clown.

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