Deck 14: Effective Delegation and How to Assign Work

Question 1

Which of the following is a proven principle for assigning work effectively?

A) Consider the availability of the employee's time and whether this is the ideal person to do the job.
B) Use the correct language for the employee's training level.
C) Be considerate but never apologetic when asking someone to do a job.
D) Give people the opportunity to ask questions and express opinions.
E) All of these

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The "Peter Principle" refers to

A) the shop floor exhaustion syndrome.
B) the tendency of organizations to promote individuals to their level of incompetence.
C) the tendency of individuals to take on more work than they can perform.
D) the principle of vertical versus horizontal organizational structure.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following should a leader do when assigning work effectively?

A) Be considerate but not apologetic.
B) Make assignments in a logical manner.
C) Use work assignments as a means of developing people.
D) Give people the opportunity to ask questions and express opinions.
E) All of these

Answer 3

E

Question 4

According to John Holland's model of personality and occupational types, which of the following statements is most likely true of investigative people?

A) They like to work with other people and are concerned with their welfare.
B) They thrive in social settings that offer opportunities for casual conversations.
C) They are detail-oriented and prefer working alone.
D) They tend to be helpful, caring, and empathetic.

Question 5

Which of the following is most likely the meaning of the statement: "Who would pick someone who smells like fish and mud? Who would pick an unpopular tax collector? Who would pick leaders from filthy wharves and toil-filled fields? But He did, and together they changed the world"?

A) Effective leadership involves seeing qualities in others unknown to themselves and treating others in a way that brings out their best.
B) Every field needs leadership.
C) Leaders don't need formal education.
D) Leadership is a mystery.
E) None of these

Question 6

The life span of most businesses is ________. It takes successors only half a working generation to put the company out of business most likely because of lack of ________.

A) two years; money
B) one and a half generations; delegation
C) seven generations; plant and equipment
D) one hundred years; systems and procedures

Question 7

According to John Holland's model of personality and occupational types, social people are most likely described as ________.

A) tactful
B) adventurous
C) ambitious
D) creative

Question 8

Identify a rule for effective delegation.

A) Don't delegate the bad jobs, saving the good ones for yourself.
B) Use delegation as a development tool.
C) Learn to live with work styles that are not like your own.
D) Insist on clear communication.
E) All of these

Question 9

When delegating work, which of the following sets of the three D's should you follow for all work?

A) Delegate it, do it, or deploy it.
B) Do it, delegate it, or ditch it.
C) Distribute it, do it, or destroy it.
D) Diminish it, delegate it, or do it.

Question 10

Which of the following is one of the best ways to make a successful vital shift?

A) To use the new-job tryout
B) To use the lost cause test
C) To use a reverse movement
D) To use an upside down pyramid
E) None of these

Question 11

________ said, "Develop your people to do their jobs better than you can. Transfer your skills to them. This is exciting but it can be threatening to a manager who worries that he is training his replacement. Smart managers like to see their employees increase their responsibilities because it frees the managers to tackle new or undone tasks."

A) Martha Stewart
B) Michael Eisner
C) Mary Kay
D) Bill Gates
E) Ted Turner

Question 12

When a job transition is not made successfully, the result is the overpromotion syndrome popularized by author ________.

A) Robert Townsend
B) Peter Drucker
C) Saul Gellerman
D) Rensis Likert
E) Lawrence Peter

Question 13

Leaders should delegate ________ tasks so that a subordinate can see a project or assignment through to completion, and they should allow time to get jobs done.

A) whole
B) partial
C) fun
D) boring

Question 14

Identify a proven principle for assigning work effectively.

A) Know exactly what you want to communicate before giving an order.
B) Ask rather than tell, but leave no doubt that you expect compliance.
C) Make assignments in a logical sequence, using clear and concise language.
D) Take responsibility for the orders you give.
E) All of these

Question 15

Two ways of exerting leadership strength are ________ and ________.

A) pushing down through intimidation; pulling up through delegation
B) opening doors; closing loopholes
C) starting things; stopping things
D) asking others; telling others
E) role-playing; theorizing

Question 16

According to the steps for effective delegation, identify the immediate next step after selecting a suitable person for the required task.

A) Defining the task
B) Gaining the person's views
C) Giving authority and resources to perform the task
D) Rewarding the person

Question 17

According to John Holland's model of personality and occupational types, identify a typical high-stress activity for artistic individuals.

A) Expressing nonconforming ideas
B) Performing maintenance and repairs
C) Making a speech
D) Following rules and regulations

Question 18

The opportunity to move from blue-collar to white-collar jobs is ________ common in the U.S. workplace than in the rest of the world.

A) less
B) more

Question 19

According to John Holland's model of personality and occupational types, which of the following statements is most likely true of realistic people?

A) They like to work with other people and are concerned with their welfare.
B) They like working outdoors and working with their hands.
C) They tend to be analytical, reserved, and scholarly.
D) They tend to be helpful, caring, and empathetic.

Question 20

Which of the following is a reason why leaders fail to delegate?

A) Lack of knowledge
B) Lack of respect
C) Lack of trust
D) Insecurity
E) All of these

Question 21

Relational skills are important throughout one's career at every level of management.

Question 22

Shadowing allows an existing employee to actually work at a different type of job or level of responsibility for an interim period of time to see if the work is agreeable and can be performed effectively.

Question 23

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) equally important at all levels of management
B) important leadership skill
C) one of the most important skills of the successful leader
D) rules for effective delegation
E) successful leader
F) proven principles for assigning work effectively
G) overpromotion syndrome
delegation

Question 24

In the new-job tryout, employee pride is easily preserved because the job is considered a two-way tryout.

Question 25

Great companies do not hire people and motivate them; they hire already motivated people and then inspire and support them.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is most likely true about middle managers in organizations?

A) They officially represent the organization in the external environment.
B) They are responsible for implementing the policies and plans developed by top management.
C) They establish the organization's goals and overall strategy.
D) They are primarily responsible for supervising and coordinating the activities of operating employees.

Question 27

According to John Holland's model of personality and occupational types, enterprising people ________.

A) are most likely to avoid parties
B) prefer routine and detail work
C) are most likely to become tax experts or bankers
D) enjoy leading, speaking, and convincing others

Question 28

According to John Holland's model of personality and occupational types, who among the following prefers highly ordered activities that characterize detail work and have little interest in artistic or physical skills?

A) Conventional people
B) Realistic people
C) Enterprising people
D) Investigative people

Question 29

The controlling (C) function of management primarily entails supervising, facilitating, coaching, and developing people.

Question 30

Which of the following statements is most likely true of technical skill?

A) It refers to having knowledge about and being able to work with concepts and ideas.
B) It refers to having knowledge about and being proficient in a specific type of work or activity.
C) It becomes more important than conceptual skill as one rises higher in an organization.
D) It includes the ability to motivate, coordinate, and advise other people, either as individuals or as a work group.

Question 31

Identify an essential element of relational expertise.

A) Weighing of ethical considerations in customer relations
B) Strategic decision making
C) Abstract thinking
D) Sensitivity in human relations

Question 32

Which of the following statements is most likely true about frontline managers in organizations?

A) They supervise and coordinate the activities of operating employees.
B) They officially represent the organization in the external environment.
C) They are responsible for implementing the policies and plans developed by top management.
D) They establish the organization's operating policy.

Question 33

According to Laurence J. Peter, the overpromotion syndrome results in enhancing employee morale and productivity.

Question 34

Top managers typically spend a large proportion of their time coordinating, facilitating, and supporting the work of subordinates.

Question 35

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) equally important at all levels of management
B) important leadership skill
C) one of the most important skills of the successful leader
D) rules for effective delegation
E) successful leader
F) proven principles for assigning work effectively
G) overpromotion syndrome
relational skill

Question 36

Which of the following statements is most likely true of conceptual skill?

A) It primarily includes detailed job knowledge and hands-on expertise.
B) It is most important for first-level management.
C) It includes the ability to think abstractly.
D) It is primarily characterized by a willingness to help others.

Question 37

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) equally important at all levels of management
B) important leadership skill
C) one of the most important skills of the successful leader
D) rules for effective delegation
E) successful leader
F) proven principles for assigning work effectively
G) overpromotion syndrome
Peter principle

Question 38

Conceptual skills become more important than technical skills as individuals move from first-level manager, to mid-level manager, to top-level manager.

Question 39

In the context of management processes or functions, the organizing (O) function ________.

A) focuses on tracking progress against plans and making corrections
B) entails supervising, facilitating, coaching, and developing people
C) includes determining strategies to succeed and making policy decisions
D) involves aligning structure, people, and resources to achieve goals

Question 40

When exerting leadership strength, pushing down through intimidation is infinitely more effective than pulling up through delegation.

Question 41

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) equally important at all levels of management
B) important leadership skill
C) one of the most important skills of the successful leader
D) rules for effective delegation
E) successful leader
F) proven principles for assigning work effectively
G) overpromotion syndrome
know exactly what you want to communicate before giving an order; ask rather than tell, but leave no doubt that you expect compliance; be considerate but never apologetic when asking someone to do a job; take responsibility for the orders you give; give people the opportunity to ask questions and express opinions; follow up to make sure assignments are being carried out properly

Question 42

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) equally important at all levels of management
B) important leadership skill
C) one of the most important skills of the successful leader
D) rules for effective delegation
E) successful leader
F) proven principles for assigning work effectively
G) overpromotion syndrome
don't delegate the bad jobs, saving the good ones for yourself; use delegation as a development tool; delegate work fairly among all employees; insist on clear communication; learn to live with work styles that are not like your own

Question 43

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) equally important at all levels of management
B) important leadership skill
C) one of the most important skills of the successful leader
D) rules for effective delegation
E) successful leader
F) proven principles for assigning work effectively
G) overpromotion syndrome
Bill Gates

Question 44

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) equally important at all levels of management
B) important leadership skill
C) one of the most important skills of the successful leader
D) rules for effective delegation
E) successful leader
F) proven principles for assigning work effectively
G) overpromotion syndrome
assigning work effectively