CSL Decision Making & Strategic Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST describes a 'strategic goal' in organizational planning?
- A daily task list for individual employees
- A long-term, broad objective that aligns with the organization's mission and vision (Correct answer)
- A specific technical procedure for completing a work task
- A short-term budget adjustment for a single quarter
Correct answer: A long-term, broad objective that aligns with the organization's mission and vision
Strategic goals are long-range, high-level objectives that guide the overall direction of the organization and align with its mission and vision.
Question 2: A supervisor is creating operational goals that support the company's strategic plan. These goals should be:
- Vague and flexible so employees can interpret them freely
- SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (Correct answer)
- Set exclusively by upper management without supervisor input
- Focused only on financial outcomes
Correct answer: SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound
SMART goals give employees clear targets with measurable outcomes and deadlines, making it easier to track progress and hold people accountable.
Question 3: What is 'cascading goals' in the context of organizational planning?
- Eliminating goals that prove too difficult to achieve
- Breaking down high-level organizational goals into team and individual goals at each level (Correct answer)
- Setting goals for water treatment facilities
- Moving unmet goals to the next fiscal year
Correct answer: Breaking down high-level organizational goals into team and individual goals at each level
Cascading goals align individual and team efforts with organizational strategy by translating top-level goals into relevant targets at each level.
Question 4: A supervisor is asked to prioritize competing departmental projects. Which tool would BEST help visualize and rank priorities?
- A Gantt chart
- A priority matrix (Eisenhower Matrix) based on urgency and importance (Correct answer)
- A flowchart of HR processes
- A SWOT analysis of company finances
Correct answer: A priority matrix (Eisenhower Matrix) based on urgency and importance
The Eisenhower Matrix categorizes tasks by urgency and importance, helping supervisors focus on what matters most and delegate or eliminate lower-priority work.
Question 5: What does 'benchmarking' mean in the context of organizational planning?
- Evaluating employee sitting posture at their workstations
- Comparing organizational performance metrics to industry best practices or top-performing competitors (Correct answer)
- Setting the minimum acceptable performance standard for entry-level employees
- Testing new equipment before full deployment
Correct answer: Comparing organizational performance metrics to industry best practices or top-performing competitors
Benchmarking identifies performance gaps by comparing your organization's metrics against industry leaders, providing targets for improvement.
Question 6: When setting departmental goals, why is it important for supervisors to involve their team members in the process?
- It transfers legal responsibility for goal attainment to employees
- It increases commitment, generates better ideas, and ensures goals are realistic given frontline realities (Correct answer)
- It is required by all labor laws in the US
- It prevents managers from being held accountable for unmet goals
Correct answer: It increases commitment, generates better ideas, and ensures goals are realistic given frontline realities
Participative goal-setting increases ownership and motivation while leveraging employees' firsthand knowledge of operational constraints and opportunities.
CSL Decision Making & Strategic Planning 2
Which of the following BEST describes a 'strategic goal' in organizational planning?