You manage a department that includes 10 employees who work with customers, and a supervisor. You notice that one of the employees is regularly late arriving in the morning.
What would you do?
Nothing. You trust the supervisor – she works closely with the team members and is probably aware of the situation and it’s under her control.
Talk to the employee next time you see him arrive late.
Ask the supervisor if she is aware of this situation.
Tell the supervisor that she should pay more attention to her employees’ arriving hours, as it looks bad.
Correct answer is C
This question assesses your understanding of your position as a manager in terms of the chain of command. Be aware that different workplaces prefer different levels of managerial involvement versus keeping of the chain of command; we recommend that you read about your potential workplace and position before taking the test.
Response A is a “do nothing” response. This kind of response is passive and is rarely the best course of action. Although it may be likely that the supervisor is aware of the situation, you can’t assume it. This response fails to supervise employees’ performance.
Talking to the employee yourself (response B) ignores the supervisor’s authority and responsibility (chain of command). You want to take action, but not to undermine the supervisor.
In response C you take action which is appropriate for someone in your position – you bring the situation to the supervisor’s awareness and allow her to handle it as she sees fit. This is the best response in this situation.
In response D you reprimand your supervisor for the employee’s actions. You don’t trust the supervisor’s skills and judgment, and don’t provide her the authority to handle the situation her way, and don’t provide her a chance to explain her point of view – you don’t know if she is aware of the situation or if there are any special reasons for it (effective communication).
