人们常常将情报工作喻为尖兵、参谋、助手,这个称誉形象而精辟地揭示了情报工作的内质与风貌。如果说情报工作是四化建设的一支大军,那么尖兵、参谋、助手的内质、风貌乃是这支大军的军魂。情报工作怎样当好尖兵、参谋、助手呢,无愧于这个称誉呢?我觉得,基本之点在于能否紧紧抓住最重要的情报需求——决策需求,在于能否紧紧抓住决策需求中的热点、急点、难点。所谓决策需求中的热点、急点、难点,就是指那些为人们、为社会普遍关切的,急待解决而又比较难于解决的重大决策问题。例如,科技兴省、兴市的战略 People often equate intelligence work with leading-edge personnel, staff officers, and assistants. This reputation has brilliantly revealed the inner quality and style of intelligence work. If the intelligence work is an army of the four modernizations, the internal qualities and style of the leading soldiers, staff officers, and assistants are the military souls of this army. How can intelligence work as a good soldier, a staff officer, and an assistant? Is it worthy of this reputation? I think the basic point is whether or not we can firmly grasp the most important intelligence needs—decision making needs, whether or not we can firmly grasp the needs of decision-making. Hot spots, emergencies, and difficulties in the game. The hot spots, emergencies, and difficulties in the so-called decision-making needs refer to major decision-making issues that are common concerns for people and society and that are urgently needed to solve but are more difficult to solve. For example, the strategy of science and technology to develop provinces and cities