Pop Quiz on Management
Indicate a T or an F on each question. Then read below to find out the correct answers.
1. An effective manager agonizes over each detail of a big plan.
____True ____False
2. Employee attitudes toward change are impossible to discover. If an employee knows his organization wants him to embrace change, he can mask his attitude successfully.
____True ____False
3. A competent leader delegates responsibility only after analyzing whether the employee is capable of successfully completing the task.
____True ____False
4. Some subordinates don’t want to do what needs to be done; they prefer to exercise their creativity in their own way. A leader faced with this kind of worker should leave her alone to work the way she thinks best.
____True ____False
5. A verbose manager can hinder effective communication.
____True ____False
6. Only weak leaders ask for help once they have set their course of action.
____True ____False
7. Telling team members to observe an expert at work is the best way to develop talents in others.
____True ____False
8. Effective managers stay with a problem indefinitely, even when it appears impossible to solve.
____True ____False
Answers:
1. False. A manager who cannot move beyond the small details of an important plan has lost sight of the big picture.
2. False. Although some employees are adept at hiding things, top leaders can discover such things as attitudes toward change through a sharply focused assessment. Moving a worker who dislikes change to another position will result in a better job fit and more productivity.
3. True. Competent leaders delegate responsibility after assessing their workers’ capabilities, interests and development needs.
4. False. Effective leaders clearly spell out their expectations for subordinates. Although constructive corrections might bruise an ego, a leader cannot lead someone pointed in the wrong direction.
5. True. By its definition, communication requires that more than one person speaks—a give and take—never a give and give and give. Even if team members disagree, considering all viewpoints can lead to creative solutions. Voila! Communication!
6. False. Seeking help to complete a project on deadline is always a more effective course of action than stubbornly pushing forward toward failure. There is no “I” in team.
7. False. Observing a master at work is only one way of developing others’ skills. Other necessary methods include observation of the employee’s habits, constructive criticism, and focused training.
8. True. Effective managers know that every problem has a solution. And they find it.
Filed under: Leadership, Management