JCI Pre-Assessment

1. You serve as the Team Leader in your department and have been assigned the responsibility to design and implement a new initiative. You have hired/recruited a Project Team that is eager to begin work with you in developing and implementing the new initiative. You have scheduled a series of planning meetings with your Team. At these first meetings of the Team, YOU WOULD..

• a) Define the team’s responsibilities, outline the design process, guide the team’s work on the new project, and closely track its implementation.

• b) Lead the team in designing and implementing the new project, encouraging collaboration, recommending ideas, making key design decisions, and driving execution.

• c) Facilitate the work of the team by encouraging cooperation and involvement of all team members as they design and implement the new project.

• d) Allow the team to design and implement the project on their own with your support and with the resources that you have given them.

2. The Team that you coordinate as Team Leader has been working well together over the past year to design and implement the organization’s plans and projects with your input and facilitation. As the new year begins, a number of new projects are being introduced and several new members are being added to the team who do not have previous experience with your projects. YOU WOULD.

• a) Use team meetings to guide the development of new programs and help new members understand the organization’s work and their roles. Continue to closely monitor team performance as new projects launch.

• b) Guide the entire team in creating the new projects, incorporate the ideas and suggestions of all team members, encourage effective teamwork, and take time to introduce the new team members.

• c) Welcome the new members to the team, put them with other members of the team who can help them learn how to design and implement the organization’s projects, while you facilitate team development and teamwork.

• d) Ask if there is anything you can do to help the new members and support their excitement about being new team members.

3. As Team Leader you have worked closely with one of your teams for several years. Their work is excellent and the team gets along well together. Recognizing their abilities, you feel they can now work more on their own. You have begun this year to redirect your energies to other projects and teams, and they have continued to work effectively. You must now ask them to accept additional tasks and responsibilities. YOU WOULD. . 

• a) Assign them the new responsibility, make sure they know what to do, and supervise them closely.

• b) Give them the new responsibility. Tell them that you are pleased with their past performance and that you are sure they will do well with this new responsibility. Facilitate the team’s meetings

• c) Make sure they know what you want them to do, but incorporate any helpful suggestions they have.

• d) Let them determine how to complete the new responsibility and be available to support them and provide the information and resources that will be needed.

4. You have just been appointed Team Leader. One of the teams that you are about to lead has worked together for several months. You have found that the team is beginning to perform effectively on the tasks assigned to them but somewhat overwhelmed by the project and the demands of working together as a team. You are unsure about how you fit into the group and what your role should be. YOU WOULD.

• a) Assume the leadership of the team, direct the design and implementation of its projects and tasks, and closely monitor their performance.

• b) Facilitate the planning and implementation of the team’s work and develop the ability of team members to work together.

• c) Do what you can to make the team feel important and involved, and support their continued work.

• d) Attend the team meetings, but let the team continue to work as it has in the past year.

5. When delegating a task, which of the following should you do?

• a) Give detailed instructions and check in frequently

• b) Match the task to the person's skill and interest, then coach as needed

• c) Dump the task with a deadline

• d) Assume they’ll figure it out

6. In cross-functional meetings, your suggestion is overlooked. What do you do?

• a) Stay silent – no point arguing

• b) Ask questions to understand others’ views, then reframe your idea

• c) Keep repeating your point louder

• d) Drop out of future meetings

7. You delegate a task to a team member who completes it late and below expectations. What would be your BEST leadership response?

• a) Take the task back and do it yourself next time

• b) Publicly criticize the team member to ensure accountability

• c) Give constructive feedback and explore what support was missing

• d) Ignore it—it was a one-off mistake

8. Your team has diversity in gender, age, and thinking style. What will best help you manage team dynamics?

• a) Give identical roles to all to avoid conflict

• b) Allow everyone to work in silos

• c) Promote open dialogue and shared decision-making

• d) Delegate only to those who agree with you

9. One of your high-performing team members returns from extended leave. You want to re-integrate them. What do you do?

• a) Slowly give them low-risk tasks to regain confidence

• b) Hand them the most difficult job to test readiness

• c) Have an open check-in conversation about comfort, support needed, and assign based on interest

• b) Ask the team to keep them updated

10. 10. Which of the following is a key element of giving actionable feedback?

• a) Use vague language to protect the employee’s feelings

• b) Focus only on results, not behavior

• c) Be specific, timely, and focused on improvement

• d) Deliver it only during formal reviews