Delegation and Time Management Flashcards
7 cards from real Supervisory Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Delegation and Time Management flashcards as text
Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time available. How should a supervisor apply this principle?
Answer: Set firm deadlines to prevent tasks from consuming excessive time
By setting firm deadlines, supervisors counteract Parkinson's Law and prevent unnecessary time inflation on tasks.
A new supervisor wants to delegate a complex project. Which employee characteristic is MOST important to consider first?
Answer: The employee's current workload and capacity
Assigning a project to an already overloaded employee undermines both the project outcome and employee morale.
A supervisor delegates a report to an employee who submits it with several errors. Accountability for the final output rests with:
Answer: Both the supervisor and the employee share accountability
The employee is accountable for the quality of their work, while the supervisor retains overall responsibility for results.
Which scheduling approach involves assigning specific time slots on the calendar for specific types of work?
Answer: Time blocking
Time blocking reserves dedicated calendar slots for specific tasks or categories of work, reducing context-switching.
A supervisor consistently handles tasks that are well within subordinates' capabilities. This pattern is BEST described as:
Answer: Micro-management and under-delegation
Doing work that subordinates could handle represents under-delegation and limits both supervisory effectiveness and employee development.
When creating a daily task list, a supervisor should FIRST identify:
Answer: High-priority tasks aligned with organizational goals
Prioritizing tasks by alignment with organizational goals ensures that the most impactful work receives attention first.
An employee completes a delegated task but uses a different method than the supervisor expected. If the results meet the objective, the supervisor should:
Answer: Accept the results and acknowledge the employee's initiative
When the objective is met, focusing on results rather than method encourages innovation and employee ownership.