CTL Performance Management & Accountability 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A team member consistently meets targets but refuses to document their work processes. How should a team leader address this?
- Ignore it since targets are being met
- Address the documentation gap as part of overall performance expectations (Correct answer)
- Penalize the employee immediately
- Transfer the documentation responsibility to another team member
Correct answer: Address the documentation gap as part of overall performance expectations
Performance expectations include both results and required behaviors/processes, so documentation should be addressed as part of the full performance standard.
Question 2: Which type of performance standard is MOST useful for measuring knowledge work quality?
- Units produced per hour
- Behavioral indicators and output quality criteria (Correct answer)
- Attendance records
- Years of experience in the role
Correct answer: Behavioral indicators and output quality criteria
Behavioral indicators and quality criteria capture the complexity of knowledge work better than simple quantitative measures.
Question 3: A team leader notices a high performer has become disengaged after being passed over for promotion. What is the FIRST step?
- Increase their workload to re-engage them
- Have a private conversation to understand their perspective (Correct answer)
- Warn them that performance decline will not be tolerated
- Recommend they transfer to another team
Correct answer: Have a private conversation to understand their perspective
Understanding the employee's perspective through dialogue is the essential first step before any intervention or action.
Question 4: What does 'stretch goal' mean in performance management?
- A goal that is impossible to achieve
- A challenging objective set beyond current performance levels to drive growth (Correct answer)
- A goal carried over from a previous review period
- A goal assigned without employee input
Correct answer: A challenging objective set beyond current performance levels to drive growth
Stretch goals are ambitious targets that push employees beyond their comfort zone to encourage development and higher performance.
Question 5: When cascading organizational goals to the team level, a team leader should PRIMARILY ensure:
- All team goals are identical to organizational goals
- Team goals directly support and align with higher-level organizational objectives (Correct answer)
- Team goals are easier than organizational goals to boost morale
- Team goals are set independently to encourage innovation
Correct answer: Team goals directly support and align with higher-level organizational objectives
Cascading goals ensures every team's work contributes meaningfully to broader organizational success through direct alignment.
Question 6: A team leader wants to improve accountability without micromanaging. Which practice BEST achieves this?
- Requiring hourly status updates from all team members
- Establishing clear expectations and using regular milestone check-ins (Correct answer)
- Reviewing all work product before it leaves the team
- Assigning a buddy to monitor each team member's work
Correct answer: Establishing clear expectations and using regular milestone check-ins
Clear expectations paired with periodic milestone reviews create accountability structures without invasive oversight.
Question 7: Under a Management by Objectives (MBO) approach, who is PRIMARILY responsible for setting performance objectives?
- HR department alone
- The team leader alone
- Both the manager and employee collaboratively (Correct answer)
- Senior leadership without employee input
Correct answer: Both the manager and employee collaboratively
MBO is defined by collaborative goal-setting between managers and employees, which increases commitment and ownership.
CTL Performance Management & Accountability 2
A team member consistently meets targets but refuses to document their work processes.
How should a team leader address this?