Fundamentals of Supervision

What is the main difference between a supervisor and a non-supervisory employee?

A. ) Supervisors get more pay
B. ) Anything the supervisor says, goes
C. ) Supervisors are responsible for the work of others
D. ) Non-supervisory employees have less work to do

What is the best way to make changes when you first become a supervisor?

A. ) No immediate changes should be made
B. ) Don't make any changes for the first year
C. ) Space changes out to one a week
D. ) Make as many as possible

How should your promotion to supervisor affect your comments or advice toothers at work?

A. ) Advice should be given out more often
B. ) There should be no change in your comments or advice
C. ) You must exercise more care in your comments and advice
D. ) You should keep your advice to yourself

Two of your employees handed in requests on the same day for a week'svacation from July 1-7. Arturo is a friend as well as an employee whose workyou supervise. Marlis is a good worker but not a close friend like Arturo. Ifyour work unit is to maintain adequate staffing, only one of them can be goneduring this week. How should you handle this situation?

A. ) Explain the situation to the two and see if one will volunteer to change their plans, if they won't tell them to flip a coin.
B. ) Turn the decision over to your supervisor so no one will think you are playing favorites.
C. ) Give the vacation to the non-friend so no one will think you are playing favorites.
D. ) Try to find replacements for both and reject both requests if you can't

What are three characteristics a supervisor must project in order to make employees feel more secure and productive?

A. ) Decisive, confident, authoritative
B. ) Relaxed, amiable, flexible
C. ) Authoritative, rigid, strong
D. ) Extroverted, honest, sensitive

As a supervisor, _________ skills will help you most in achieving departmental and productivity goals?

A. ) Human relations
B. ) Planning
C. ) Technical
D. ) Organizational

What is one advantage of a democratic working environment?

A. ) Most employees gain greater personal satisfaction
B. ) Employees can create their own work style
C. ) It is helpful for young and inexperienced employees
D. ) It is perfect for highly hazardous jobs

Why should supervisors learn the organizational norms that are effective in the department or agency they work in?

A. ) To "clean out" all norms so they don't affect productivity
B. ) So they can be sure they always follow them
C. ) So they can be written out as regulations
D. ) Because being unaware of them can create conflicts

An oversimplified concept, opinion or belief: is ___________.

A. ) stereotyping
B. ) the halo effect
C. ) categorization
D. ) formalizing

What is the process in which a general impression - whether positive ornegative - is used to evaluate an individual's specific traits?

A. ) rationalizing
B. ) halo effect
C. ) projection
D. ) evaluating

What factors can affect whether stress is helpful or destructive to individualsin a work environment?

A. ) tolerance to stress and the severity of the stress
B. ) whether the individuals are strong or weak types
C. ) how many years the individual has been on the job
D. ) how many co-workers who also have stress

What is one way supervisors can help employees reduce their on-the-job stress?

A. ) Explain that people who overreact to stress seldom get promotions
B. ) Teach them basic problem-solving skills
C. ) Teach them to delegate duties that cause too much stress
D. ) Allow them time to go to counselors during work hours

What one word must characterize the interviewing process in order to uphold Title VII of the Civil Rights Act?

A. ) formal
B. ) projection
C. ) open
D. ) objectivity

What is one of the questions you must ask yourself when analyzing a vacant position?

A. ) "Who would best fit this type of job?"
B. ) "How can I follow the agency norm in selecting the right candidate?"
C. ) "What skills and knowledge are necessary to perform the job?"
D. ) "What type of personality does this job take?"

Which statement best describes the use of lead questions in job interviews?

A. ) The same lead questions should be asked of each candidate.
B. ) Lead questions should be asked at the end of the interview.
C. ) Different lead questions should be asked of each candidate.
D. ) Lead questions should be used very carefully, because they can lead to lawsuits.

Questions beginning with _________ are likely to produce the mostinformative answers.

A. ) When did...and Are you...
B. ) How many...and Will you...
C. ) What...and Tell me...
D. ) Have you...and Did you...

What will the best candidate for any position have besides the best job related pattern of critical strengths?

A. ) Most years in Civil Service
B. ) Least complaints about previous jobs
C. ) Fewest serious limitations
D. ) No conviction records

What is the mandate which obligates the County to ensure that women and ethnic minorities are not placed at a disadvantage by County hiring procedures?

A. ) Board of Supervisors Policy C-17
B. ) Equal Opportunity Management
C. ) Administrative Manual 9210-3
D. ) Employee Appointment Procedure

What are three of the essential pieces of information you need to supply to the new employee?

A. ) Safety, pay procedures, facilities
B. ) Sick time, holidays, vacation
C. ) Evaluation procedures, overtime pay, probation period
D. ) Grievances, pay increases, staffing policy

Which of the following performance problems would definitely indicate a need for training?

A. ) Poor quality of work
B. ) Changes in hiring laws
C. ) Accidents on the job
D. ) Excessive absenteeism

If a performance discrepancy is a skill deficiency that an employee once had but has lost, what should the supervisor do?

A. ) Use other resources
B. ) Arrange formal training
C. ) Arrange practice and feedback
D. ) Ignore it

You are preparing a unit of OJT. You ask yourself, what are the steps that one must take to do a job? Exactly what happens at each step? What is the prerequisite knowledge to perform each step? What step of training development are you performing?

A. ) I'm setting goals
B. ) I'm developing objectives
C. ) I'm analyzing the job
D. ) I'm developing remediation

You've completed the job analysis and developed the training objectives.What's next?

A. ) Schedule facilities
B. ) Develop the final product
C. ) Develop the course goals
D. ) Create the instruction plan

Which of the following are verbs appropriate for using in a learning objective?

A. ) Synthesize
B. ) Understand
C. ) Identify
D. ) Appreciate

In the following objective, which phrase describes the standard to which the learner is expected to perform?

On a circular paved track, run one mile in 15 minutes without stopping.

A. ) Run one mile in 15 minutes without stopping
B. ) in 15 minutes without stopping
C. ) run one mile
D. ) On a circular paved track

Motor pool employees must be able to change a flat tire. Knowing_____________ would be a prerequisite for performing the task.

A. ) where extra tires are kept
B. ) how to remove a tire
C. ) how long tires good tires last
D. ) where to place the jack

A sub-task of changing a flat tire is ______________.

A. ) balancing the tire
B. ) removing the lug nuts from the tire
C. ) checking a tire for punctures
D. ) pulling off the side of the road safely

You are conducting OJT for a new clerk. You demonstrate how to handle a citizen complaint against the County Assessor's Office. What's next?

A. ) Prepare the clerk of the next task demonstration.
B. ) Watch the clerk while he/she handles a similar complaint.
C. ) Have the clerk watch while you demonstrate the task at least two more times.
D. ) Allow the clerk to work on his/her own.

How do employee performance appraisals help the County?

A. ) They show where the most productive workers are.
B. ) They help the County determine eligibility for promotion.
C. ) They help determine whether the supervisor is training employees adequately.
D. ) They provide insight as to what departments should be closed down.

How do employee performance appraisals help employees?

A. ) They provide assurance that they do not need to work hard.
B. ) They lower employee anxiety and increase productivity.
C. ) They let employees know how their supervisors feel about them.
D. ) They increase employees' awareness of their chances for demotion.

What should employees do prior to performance appraisals?

A. ) Complete employee self-appraisals.
B. ) Review their job descriptions thoroughly.
C. ) Write down all of their grievances.
D. ) Write notes about the pitfalls of the current position.

Mary Wood supervises Jill Stewart. Over the past six months, Jill has had avery poor attendance record. She rarely finishes an assignment on time,frequently asks for special privileges and favors, is uncooperative in groupefforts, and is short tempered with co-workers. Overall her job performanceappraisal is unsatisfactory. The following questions address how Mary shouldconduct Jill's performance appraisal discussion.

What should the discussion be centered on?

A. ) Jill's opportunities for advancement
B. ) the possibility of promotion out of the department
C. ) counseling centers Jill can attend
D. ) gaining a commitment for correction

Which of the following statements would be most appropriate for Mary to start with?

A. ) "Jill, what changes in the organization would make your job easier?"
B. ) Jill, three of your co-workers have complained about your lack of cooperation on the River Project."
C. ) "Jill, your overall performance is poor, what do you have to say foryourself?"
D. ) "Jill, read these ratings and tell me what you think."

Mary discusses the impact of Jill's unsatisfactory performance. What should Mary do next?

A. ) Talk about the improvements Jill has made.
B. ) Have Jill sign the report.
C. ) Refer Jill to a higher authority.
D. ) Ask Jill to help formulate a plan for improvement.

After two weeks, Mary has noted improvement in Jill's cooperative effort. Also, Jill has handed in all her assignments on time. What should Mary do?

A. ) Schedule a Maintaining Improved Performance Discussion with Jill.
B. ) Nothing - Jill will ask for favors again if Mary remarks on her improved performance.
C. ) Inform Jill that there will be no need for disciplinary action.
D. ) Make herself a note to write a report noting the improvements if they continue one month.

What method of addressing a disciplinary problem is most likely to succeed?

A. ) Performance reports
B. ) Written warnings
C. ) Oral warnings
D. ) Counseling

Mary also supervises Ron Edwards. For the past couple of months, Ron has been coming to work late. He has also been coming back late from lunch.Mary has noticed a distinct smell of alcohol on his breath after lunch several times. Ron works in the Property Tax Division. Although Ron does not run dangerous equipment, Mary is concerned that he will make accounting errors. 

What is the first step Mary should take concerning her concerns about Ron?

A. ) Talk with Ron's co-workers and see if they have noticed the change.
B. ) Do an audit to see if there has been an increase in Ron's errors.
C. ) Send a memo to Ron requesting that he report to the Personnel Manager.
D. ) Consult with Reggie Sloane, her Personnel Officer, about the problem.

If Mary decides to talk with Ron, which of the following statements would be most appropriate?

A. ) ""Ron the department has a policy about drinking during lunch that you are breaking. Shape up or I'll refer you to the EAP."
B. ) "Ron, you have coming into work late and staying over an hour on your lunch break. Is there a reason for this?
C. ) "Ron, I have noticed that you have developed a drinking problem."
D. ) "Ron, we will have to resort to formal disciplinary measures if you continue to drink during your lunch."

After one month and repeated counseling sessions Ron continues his long lunches and continues to report late for work in the morning. In the sessions Ron has dined ever drinking during his lunch break. Mary has no evidence at this time that his tardiness is related to drinking. What should she do next?

A. ) Send a memo to the Appointing Authority requesting that Ron be transferred from her work area.
B. ) Send copies of all the "Conference Memoranda" to Ron and inform him she will no longer provide counseling.
C. ) Provide written documentation of all the counseling sessions and the continued tardiness to her superior.
D. ) Tell Ron he will be suspended and he will soon hear from the Appointing Authority.

A few days later, a co-worker of Ron's comes to Mary. "Ron isn't carrying his share of the load this afternoon because he had one too many at lunch," the co-worker says. What should Mary do?

A. ) Inform Ron that he must agree to a tape-recorded counseling session since drinking is suspected.
B. ) Inform Ron he will be suspended and he should leave the work place immediately.
C. ) Inform Ron he must report to the county's health facility to provide a urine sample immediately.
D. ) Report the incident to her superior and contact the Employee Assistance Program.

According to state law, who is responsible for providing a safe working enviornment for workers?

A. ) Employeer's Managing Representatives
B. ) O.S.H.A Representatives
C. ) State Labor Board
D. ) Department Safety Officers

What are the two main causes of accidents on the job involving County employees?

A. ) Poor work planning and lack of supervision
B. ) Unsafe conditions and unsafe acts
C. ) Bad luck and unsafe equipment
D. ) Unsafe conditions and poorly trained workers

What are the three major factors that must be considered when conducting an accident investigation?

A. ) Type of accident, type of injury and contributing factors.
B. ) Who is at fault, why it happened, if the county is responsible.
C. ) If it is a common accident, type of treatment necessary and type of employee.
D. ) If the worker was forewarned, type of complaint, safety record of the employee.

You supervise a landscaping crew. One of your employees comes to you for aBand-Aid. She scratched herself on a thorn. The scratch has almost stopped bleeding. What should you do?

A. ) Call the Worker's Compensation Office for instructions.
B. ) Report it to the safety officer on the usual County forms.
C. ) See that the employee receives First Aid from a qualified individual.
D. ) Nothing - it's just a minor injury, and the employee can handle it herself.

Which of the following is the most appropriate action to take if a County employee is involved in an accident while driving a County Vehicle and minorinjuries occur?

A. ) Call the Risk Manager immediately to report the accident, then administer First Aid.
B. ) Remove the vehicle from the site of the accident and call the police
C. ) Give out identification only if another representative of the County is present and authorizes it.
D. ) Make no statement about the accident except to law officers and or their superiors.

Skillful communicators are ___________.

A. ) people who decided to develop their skills
B. ) born, not made
C. ) rarely found in management jobs
D. ) always promoted to management positions

Which of the following words or phrases is defined as "the way in which each of us distorts messages"?

A. ) communication
B. ) perceptual filter
C. ) feedback
D. ) environment

Which of the following words or phrases is defined as "the transfer of information"?

A. ) environment
B. ) feedback
C. ) communication
D. ) perceptual filter

Which of the following words or phrases is defined as "the physical surroundings in which communication takes place"?

A. ) communication
B. ) perceptual filter
C. ) environment
D. ) feedback

Which of the following words or phrases is defined as "a response to a message"?

A. ) communication
B. ) feedback
C. ) perceptual filter
D. ) environment

Two-way communication is characterized by ______________.

]A.) conflict
B.) lack of response
C.) interaction
D.) authority

The main disadvantage of one-way communication is ______________.

A. ) it takes a long time to send and a long time to receive
B. ) it can only be used in emergency situations and over public addres ssystems
C. ) the sender can't check to see if the message was received as intended
D. ) it is inappropriate for all working situations

Factors that affect communication include ______________.

A. ) verbal skills, physical barriers and perceptual filters
B. ) complexity of an organization, body language and facial expression
C. ) cultural differences, perceptual filters and body language
D. ) language barriers, hearing filters and speech

Which of the following IS NOT a component of perceptual filters?

A. ) Fears
B. ) Self-Image
C. ) Intelligence
D. ) Feelings

People who block their reception of feedback may be _____________.

A. ) immature or not well-adjusted
B. ) not using good speaking techniques
C. ) hard of hearing
D. ) afraid of unfavorable reactions

Greg Delgado, a supervisor, has been approached by one of his employees, Elvira Goodall. Elvira is worried about passing the Civil Service exam she's scheduled to take in a week. She tells Greg she thinks maybe she should skip it and reschedule. Which of the following would be a positive listening response that Greg could make to Elvira?

A.) "I see.""

B.) No problem, Elvira. You're a smart woman. What are you worried about? Just go ahead and take it - you'll ace that test."

C.) "Sounds like you can't decide whether you're well-enough prepared to take exam now, or wait until you've had more time to study."

D.) "I know just how you feel. Why don't you wait until the next time they give the test? You'll be more rested and better prepared."

If you wanted to verify the meaning of something someone just said to you, you could __________.

A. ) analyze the meaning of what the person said
B. ) use feedback to paraphrase your understanding of what was said
C. ) see if others around at the time heard the same thing you did
D. ) act on what you thought you heard and see what happens

Feedback is most effective when it is ____________.

A. ) creative, given quickly and provides advice
B. ) quick, to the point and loud enough to be heard clearly
C. ) solicited, well-timed and checked for clear communication
D. ) thorough, done at a leisurely pace and kindly spoken

There are two types of direction. They are _________.

A. ) The Order and The Request
B. ) Tell Them and Ask Them
C. ) The Suggestions and The Appeal for Volunteers
D. ) The Command the Request

Many supervisors rely on one method of giving direction. That method is______________.

A. ) The Appeal for Volunteers
B. ) The Suggestion
C. ) The Command
D. ) Request for Input

Maureen Rodriguez wanted a clerk, Jaime Garcia, to find several documents. She said to him, "Jaime, I need the Glen Oak subdivision reports from Marchand April 1983. Would you get them from the storage files and put them on my desk?"

A. ) When
B. ) Who
C. ) What
D. ) Where

What information does the acronym PAWS give about meetings?

A. ) How to avoid them
B. ) When to have them
C. ) How to behave at them
D. ) How to plan them

Which of the following is the first step in planning a meeting?

A. ) Define the purpose
B. ) Select and schedule the meeting room
C. ) Decide who should attend
D. ) Develop the agenda

Which of the following is the second step in planning a meeting?

A. ) Define the purpose
B. ) Decide who should attend
C. ) Develop the agenda
D. ) Select and schedule the meeting room

Which of the following is the third step in planning a meeting?

A. ) Develop the agenda
B. ) Select and schedule the meeting room
C. ) Decide who should attend
D. ) Define the purpose

Which of the following is the fourth step in planning a meeting?

A. ) Select and schedule the meeting room
B. ) Develop the agenda
C. ) Decide who should attend
D. ) Define the purpose

A good rule of thumb for a problem-solving session is to invite no more than________ people.

A. ) 10
B. ) 30
C. ) 25
D. ) 15

The important thing about the first response to the topic at a meeting is______________.

A. ) you should write it down immediately on the board
B. ) it should not be taken too seriously
C. ) your reaction to it can encourage other responses
D. ) it is usually totally inappropriate

If you're leading a meeting that gets off the agenda, you can help bring it back by ___________.

A. ) asking members to talk one at a time
B. ) using the gavel
C. ) leaving the room for a few minutes
D. ) talking louder than anyone else

At what point do most citizens form their opinions about the Countygovernment?

A. ) When they vote on important issues.
B. ) When they read the papers and listen to the TV news.
C. ) When they get to know someone who works for the County.
D. ) When they contact a County employee through a County office.

Loyal supervisors should _____________.

A. ) argue with their bosses to show them the other side of issues
B. ) support their boss's decisions
C. ) never disagree with their bosses in public or private
D. ) be a sounding board for employees

Team leaders, unlike group leaders, tend to _____________.

A. ) leave responsibility for reaching goals to others
B. ) encourage active participation of members
C. ) foster a climate of competitiveness
D. ) encourage conformity

Team members, unlike group members, tend to ____________.

A. ) control the flow of information
B. ) focus on themselves
C. ) be passive participants
D. ) work together

Progress charts serve several functions. Some of those functions are____________.

A. ) to keep track of the number of team meetings held per week and keep people busy
B. ) to reward productivity, provide incentive and monitor team's progress
C. ) to show the team members what happens when people don't do what they're supposed to
D. ) to discipline those who don't perform and reward those who do

To convey the impression that you value your employees' input, you should___________.

A. ) issue memos whenever policies change
B. ) encourage members to express their ideas
C. ) try to get raises for your employees
D. ) hold as many meetings as possible

One of the benefits of conflict is _____________.

A. ) it makes work more interesting
B. ) it lets you know where everyone stands
C. ) it shows you who the winners and the losers are in your work unit
D. ) it can stimulate growth and creativity

If your team asks you to help them resolve a conflict, you should___________.

A. ) step in and negotiate with them until the problem is resolved
B. ) ask them if they've tried problem-solving techniques on the conflict
C. ) figure out who the "problem employee" is and have that person transferred
D. ) Say, "No way - you people solve this yourself"

Your options for dealing with each piece of paper that comes to you are___________.

A. ) File it, act on it, send it on or throw it away
B. ) Mark it for later action, keep it for information or throw it away
C. ) Place it in the "out" basket, file it or throw it away
D. ) File it, respond to it or ask someone else to deal with it

What type of cooperation refers to your relationships with your peers, fellow supervisors, staff and other personnel?

A. ) Vertical
B. ) Team
C. ) Horizontal
D. ) Group

The best way to ensure that you can supply accurate information about conversations or daily activities is to _____________.

A. ) enroll in a memory-improvement class
B. ) go over the day's events in your head each night before you fall asleep
C. ) tape-record all conversations
D. ) document the days' events on paper

The first step in creating a weekly or a daily job plan is to ____________.

A. ) check your resources
B. ) rank the week's tasks
C. ) set goals
D. ) assign tasks

The informal organization ______________.

A. ) tends to create bad feelings among employees when it operates
B. ) consists of gossips and lazy people and should be ignored
C. ) consists of the relationships among the formal organization's employees
D. ) should be carefully controlled so it doesn't destroy your plans

One of the advantages of working with committees is ______________.

A. ) they bring more energy and experience to problem-solving than can be offered by an individual working alone
B. ) most committees find it easier to come to decisions than do individuals working alone
C. ) they are quite inexpensive in terms of time and money
D. ) because committes are by nature democratic, people always get to voice their opinions in committees

One of the disadvantages of working with committees is _____________.

A. ) they make it more difficult to efficiently coordinate plans and information
B. ) they tend to promote discord and lack of cooperation among employees who serve on them
C. ) they may have to compromise to the point that their decisions are meaningless
D. ) the transmission of information is more complicated when committees are involved

Disorganization, perfectionism and procrastination are all examples of________________.

A. ) environment-generated time-eaters
B. ) self-genereated time-eaters
C. ) job burnout
D. ) work crisis situations

Interruptions, mail, waiting time and unproductive meetings are all examples of ______________.

A. ) job burnout
B. ) environment-generated time-eaters
C. ) self-generated time-eaters
D. ) work crisis situations

One of the benefits of delegating authority is _____________.

A. ) it allows supervisors to unload boring, unpleasant or routine tasks
B. ) it helps create a sense of self-worth among employees
C. ) most tasks can be performed better by non-supervisory employees
D. ) it provides supervisors with practice at giving direction

Noise, low production quality, bickering and piles of papers are____________.

A. ) indications that management is weak or inefficient
B. ) part of the working environment in most offices today
C. ) indications that your planning and organization need attention
D. ) problems that supervisors have to deal with constantly