Situational Leadership Quiz

You have a team member who is not responding lately to your friendly conversation and obvious concern for his welfare. His performance is declining rapidly. Do you:

• Emphasise the need to follow the process, work hard and pay attention to Adetail?

• Talk with him about keeping control, help him set his own targets

• Be available but back off and give him space

The observable performance of your team is increasing. You have been making sure that they were aware of expected standards of performance. Do you:

• Engage in friendly conversation, continue to monitor performance, involve and praise the team for accomplishment.

• Take a back seat and let them manage their own roles

• Emphasise the importance of hard work and standards. Monitor closely.

You have two people that operate within your team independently of other people but had a previous manager who has just left the business. He had a ‘hands off’ approach and the individuals should be competent enough to produce results. Relationships between them are good but the remaining team want you to take over their management. Do you:

• Continue the hands off approach

• Take steps to direct them towards working in a well defined manner

• Discuss past performance with them, examine the need for new practices and reinforce good contributions.

The performance of your assistant is good and you share a business like but friendly working relationship. You feel somewhat unsure about the direction of her activities. Do you:

• Leave her alone to get on with things

• Get close to her monitor and offer direction

• Support her in what she is doing but don’t be too direct

The performance of one of your team has been dropping over the last few months. He has been unconcerned with meeting objectives. Redefining tasks has helped in the past but he has continually needed reminding of completing things in a timely manner. Do you:

• Get him involved in setting objectives, don’t be too direct but monitor the results.

• Allow him to formulate his own plan of action to cope with the problem.

• Reset objectives and tasks, supervising carefully.

You have set up a team meeting once per month. The members are not clear about the purpose of these meetings and have turned them into social gatherings. Potentially, the team have the talent necessary to help one another. Do you:

• Let the team sort out their own problems

• Re-define the meeting’s goals and supervise it carefully

• Help the team re-define the purpose, look for recommendations, but not too hard.

You have an individual who is consistently going above and beyond. You’re about to meet to discuss priorities for the year ahead. Do you:

• Set objectives based on last year’s performance and monitor closely

• Recognise the current performance and support him in planning, offering guidance. Throw in some of your own ideas.

• Act as a sounding board for his plans.

A member of your team is unable to solve a contractual issue on her own. You normally have left her alone. Her performance and relationship with you has been good. Do you:

• Act quickly to solve the problems and re-direct her.

• Encourage her to work on the problem and support her efforts.

• Leave her to work it out on her own.

Recent information indicates to you some internal difficulties exist among some of the individuals in your team. They are all good performers. They have worked all right together previously. All are well qualified to perform. Do you:

• Get discussion of the problems going in a supportive atmosphere – try out your solutions if appropriate.

• Allow them to work out the difficulties themselves.

• Take firm steps to sort out the problems and get them back on track.