Leadership & Managerial Situations Questions & Answers - Page 2

The MOST effective option is (C). This is because missing deadlines is a major problem which needs to be escalated to your manager. You need to know where they stand on this issue.

(A) is in fact the LEAST effective option since it only pays lip service - without taking any direct actions to address the growing problem.

Answer option (B) is slightly better than the LEAST effective option (A). You are indeed resolving the issue personally and reminding the team that this leadership responsibility falls within your managerial responsibilities.

Answer option (D) starts with the good idea of holding a team meeting. The aim here needs to be keeping the team on board and asking for their thoughts/opinions on what's causing the issues. Telling them can easily be misinterpreted as blaming them. In which case they will be less likely to help you with the problem resolution.

(B) is the MOST effective solution, demonstrating collaborative decision-making in seeking a resolution. Plus taking the initiative to address the timing issue. Thirdly, it's your managerial responsibility to offer balanced feedback.

The LEAST effective solution is (A) which does not address the over-running presentation or that your team members are being similarly inconvenienced.

Whilst (C) is a 'positive' response to assume leadership of the issue; it also hands responsibility to your team. It sends a strong message to the presenter but this could have been in a more openly professional - and less secretive - manner. Also, the question session will itself take even more time (away from the team's other work).

Similarly (D) avoids taking responsibility for resolving the issue. Always look for an overall solution, which this isn't!

The MOST effective response, (D), offers your own time to improve the report. This goes beyond your day-to-day job responsibility of managing the intern's work. Unfortunately for you, on this one report, you do need to put even more time and effort than you'd be expected to.

The LEAST effective response is (A) since you already know the client will not be happy with the draft report as it stands. Your attitude could easily backfire and may result in a client complaint to your manager.

Answer response (B) is an expedient option. You pass over your day-to-day intern responsibility to the rest of the team. This also introduces further delay in the report's delivery to your client.

Answer option (C) may or may not earn you some kudos with your manager. Still, it deliberately makes your intern look bad in your manager's eyes.

The MOST effective answer is (C) since it is the most conciliatory. It addresses the need to firstly 'quieten down' the new team member. Whilst also providing your rationale for doing so, and thirdly encouraging a collaborative approach.

(D) is the LEAST effective response which could easily backfire. You don't know how the rest of your busy team will react. Also, 'telling off' your new colleague could discourage them from contributing at future meetings.

OK, so option (A) shows that this type of behaviour is not acceptable in your team. Still, such an aggressive approach in front of your team is ill-advised. Option (B) certainly sounds like it is encouraging the team to manage the issue themselves. However, this is still not an assertive approach that dictates what you would like the team to do.

Answer option (B) appears to blame the more experienced team members for not speaking up. You're the leader so it is your responsibility to exert authority and ensure that the meeting produces the most collaborative and effective solutions.

(A) is the MOST effective answer since it addresses both the key issues: investigating how to set more effective objectives ; whilst getting buy in to this week's targets from the start.

Answer option (C) does recognise the need for improved collaboration, although this is quite a weak solution. More importantly, it has to be the LEAST effective solution since it does not address the other key need to work more effectively (towards the set objectives).

Consider answer option (B) to be an in-between solution. Whilst the problematic objective settiong process is dealt with, removing it is an over-simplified, knee-jerk reaction.

Option (D) isn't the best or the worst option. Yes, a team meeting would be a good starting point for discussing the underlying performance and collaboration issues. However, your agenda is already assuming these are caused by a lack of effort.