CTL Delegation & Empowerment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a team leader delegates a task but the employee lacks confidence to complete it, what is the BEST approach?
- Reassign the task to a more confident employee
- Provide coaching and incremental support while maintaining the delegation (Correct answer)
- Complete the task yourself to avoid delays
- Reduce the scope of delegation across the team
Correct answer: Provide coaching and incremental support while maintaining the delegation
Coaching and incremental support builds employee confidence while keeping the delegation intact and developing capability.
Question 2: Which delegation model uses four leadership styles matched to employee readiness levels?
- SMART delegation framework
- Situational Leadership Model (Correct answer)
- Delegation Spectrum Model
- Authority-Responsibility Matrix
Correct answer: Situational Leadership Model
The Situational Leadership Model (Hersey & Blanchard) matches four leadership styles (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating) to employee development levels.
Question 3: A team leader delegates a project but the employee continually brings every minor decision back to the leader. This is known as:
- Upward communication
- Reverse delegation (Correct answer)
- Escalation protocol
- Feedback looping
Correct answer: Reverse delegation
Reverse delegation (or 'monkey on the back') occurs when employees return delegated work back to the leader through constant interruptions or decision requests.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of establishing checkpoints when delegating a long-term project?
- To demonstrate authority over the employee
- To catch mistakes early and provide timely feedback (Correct answer)
- To reduce the employee's autonomy on the task
- To document time spent for performance reviews
Correct answer: To catch mistakes early and provide timely feedback
Checkpoints allow leaders to identify problems early and provide course-correcting feedback before issues become critical.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST distinguishes empowerment from simple task delegation?
- Empowerment involves assigning more tasks simultaneously
- Empowerment transfers decision-making authority along with responsibility (Correct answer)
- Delegation always includes long-term authority while empowerment does not
- Empowerment applies only to senior employees
Correct answer: Empowerment transfers decision-making authority along with responsibility
Empowerment goes beyond task assignment by granting employees genuine decision-making authority and ownership over outcomes.
Question 6: When is it most appropriate for a team leader to use a 'directive' style rather than delegating?
- When the employee is highly experienced and motivated
- When the employee is new or lacks the skills for the task (Correct answer)
- When the task has flexible deadlines
- When the team is self-managing
Correct answer: When the employee is new or lacks the skills for the task
A directive style is appropriate for employees with low competence who need specific instructions and close supervision to succeed.
Question 7: A team leader avoids delegating because they believe no one else can do the work as well. This mindset is called:
- Perfectionism barrier (Correct answer)
- Control illusion
- Authority retention
- Competency hoarding
Correct answer: Perfectionism barrier
Perfectionism is a common delegation barrier where leaders fear that delegated work will not meet their personal standards.
CTL Delegation & Empowerment 2
When a team leader delegates a task but the employee lacks confidence to complete it, what is the BEST approach?