Leadership & Managerial Situations Questions & Answers

In the past month, one of your employees has shown a major decline in sales performance. Although the decline has been ongoing for a couple of months, it has been particularly steep during the past two weeks. In addition, she has started coming in late and seems very frustrated with her work. Her behaviour is influencing the atmosphere in the office as she is a
popular employee and has been working for the company for the past two years.

What would you do? Choose the BEST option.

You meet with the employee and explain that her negative behaviour is affecting not only her performance but that of the entire office. You express a sincere desire to help her during her rough patch on condition that she cooperate with you and improve her attitude.

You feel that since she is a very popular employee it is crucial that she be replaced temporarily or else office performance will suffer. You assign her to back office tasks for the time being and promise her that once her performance improves, you will re-instate her in her former position.

You call a staff meeting to talk about the negative atmosphere in the office. You single out the problematic employee and discuss her contribution to this atmosphere in the hope that her behaviour will improve.

You decide to let it blow over. She has been a consistently good employee until recently and you feel you need to "cut her some slack". Part of your job is to be sensitive to your employees' needs when necessary.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is A

No explanation has been provided for this answer.

You are a department manager. Two members of your staff are long overdue to participate in a professional training course. The training department manager has informed you that she has chosen employees from a different department instead. Relations with the training department are already problematic.

What would you do? Choose the BEST option.

You do not accept the decision and send the training manager a furious e- mail demanding that she re-open the course for your employees as their performance is hindered by the delay in their training. You make sure to cc the executive director.

Since relations between you and the training manager are already strained, you decide to let the subject go this time and wait a few months until the next course opens.

You contact the manager of the other department, whose workers were selected for training instead of your employees. You try to convince him to let one of your employees take the course instead of one of his.

You talk to the training manager and try to understand the reasons for her decision. You explain the necessity of training for your department's performance and try to persuade her to let at least one of your employees attend the course.

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Correct answer is D

No explanation has been provided for this answer.

You have been working as a salesperson for the past year and have consistently achieved great sales numbers. Due to personal reasons, you have recently been unfocused at work and as a result your work performance has declined. Additionally, due to changes in the market, the sales figures of your team have decreased as well.
Your director does not seem to be taking the changes in the market into account and is blaming your poor performance on poor leadership on your part.

What would you do? Choose the BEST option.

You explain your personal situation to the director and apologise for the decline in the performance of your team. You ask to take a few days off to recuperate.

You make a decision to put aside your personal situation and consult other sales directors regarding their ways of coping with a volatile market. You devote yourself entirely to your work.

You update the director on the changes in the market and explain that there is nothing that can be done at the moment to improve sales.

You scold your team members for their poor performance and set new, more attainable sales targets in line with the changes in the market.

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is B

No explanation has been provided for this answer.

After you have served two years as manager of the sales team, the director of your company appoints a new deputy manager. Although you have been able to work together, your impressions of her are negative - you find her arrogant and disloyal.
The director has now considered sending her on a course that would create an opportunity for her relocation to a different position within the company. However, it would also speed up her promotion.

What would you do? RANK ORDER all responses (1=most effective to
4=least effective).

A. Since this course is likely to result in the relocation of the deputy manager, you approve her participation in the course.

B. You contact your director immediately and ask that she be relocated to a different position, more suited to her capabilities.

C. You veto her participation in the course and discuss it with her. You express your concerns and you try to work out your differences. You update your director.

D. You approve her participation in the course since it was offered by the director. However, you voice your concerns to the director.

C → D → B → A

D → A → B → C

A → D → B → D

B → D → C → A

View answer & explanation

Correct answer is A

No explanation has been provided for this answer.

You are a department manager and you have recently thought of a new procedure that you believe would improve the work process. Some of the employees in your department agree with the change and some do not. One of your employees openly criticises the idea to your director.

What would you do? Choose the BEST option.

You decide not to respond to the critics in order to avoid unnecessary conflict.

You reprimand the employee for going over your head to the director and work to promote your idea with even more enthusiasm.