You’re a Director/VP. A manager in your org tells you that an important launch is delayed by 8 wks. Your first words:

A) What’s the root cause?
B) Are you sure?
C) How can I help?
D) Thank you for sharing this
E) How are you feeling?
F) Why didn’t we know sooner?

Like a tweet

A) What’s the root cause for the delay?

B) Are you sure about this?

C) How can I help you with this?

D) Thank you for sharing this with me.

E) How are you feeling about this?

F) Why didn’t we know about this sooner?

[response disallowed]
G) Who is to blame for this delay?

Remember, the question is:

What should *literally be the first words out of your mouth* when you hear about this significant delay for an important product launch?

i.e. the question is not about what the ensuing discussion will be