It’s amazing how a few unanswered questions derail an otherwise confident person.

Take someone in a new position or situation. Even for a skilled person, ready to tackle any challenge, lingering questions are dangerous chinks in the armor. Confidence is a big-picture game, and being unsure about how to handle one, two, or five scenarios can shatter stability.

But here’s what gets missed. When you all you need to learn is that last 10 percent, there’s very little barrier to doing so. Five questions is one hour of coffee with someone you look up to in your field. So even if you feel lost – when it seems you’ll never know the things you need to – you just might be one invitation away from the answers that complete your professional arsenal.

Who, and what, do you need to ask?