Managing Work Flashcards
7 cards from real CPM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Managing Work flashcards as text
Which element is MOST critical when setting performance expectations for employees?
Answer: Expectations must be specific, measurable, and communicated clearly
SMART expectations (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) give employees clear targets and enable fair evaluation.
A manager is told to cut unit costs by 10% without reducing service levels. The BEST initial action is to:
Answer: Analyze current expenditures to identify inefficiencies and low-value activities
Expenditure analysis identifies where spending provides the least value, enabling targeted cuts that preserve service quality.
'Management by exception' means a manager primarily focuses attention on:
Answer: Situations that deviate significantly from expected performance or plans
Management by exception allows managers to concentrate effort on deviations from standards rather than monitoring every routine activity.
A work unit receives an urgent, unplanned request that conflicts with current priorities. The manager should:
Answer: Assess the urgency and impact, then realign priorities or negotiate the timeline with stakeholders
Evaluating urgency and impact before adjusting priorities prevents chronic disruption while still addressing legitimate urgent needs.
In public management, 'continuous improvement' is BEST described as:
Answer: An ongoing systematic effort to improve processes, quality, and efficiency over time
Continuous improvement (Kaizen-based) is a sustained cultural commitment to incremental gains in how work is performed.
When using a work breakdown structure (WBS), a manager is primarily trying to:
Answer: Decompose a project into manageable, assignable components
A WBS breaks a project into smaller deliverables and tasks, making it easier to assign, schedule, and monitor work.
A manager wants to ensure equitable workload distribution across a five-person team. The BEST approach is to:
Answer: Track each employee's task volume and complexity, then rebalance assignments regularly
Tracking workload by volume and complexity and rebalancing regularly prevents burnout and ensures fair distribution across the team.