Quiz: How Well Do You Manage Your Staff?

Work through this quiz and note down your responses to the questions. At the end you'll have the chance to convert your answers into points to see how well you scored.

1. How hard do your staff work?

• A. They work themselves to the bone
• B. They work their allotted hours, and are willing to do overtime when necessary
• C. They work from nine to five, but are not very flexible
• D. They seem to spend most of their time trying to avoid work

2. How do your staff feel about their jobs?

• A. They enjoy their jobs and find them challenging
• B. They are only here for the money
• C. They wish they were working for the competition
• D. They love their jobs because they are paid too much and the work is too easy

3. How many people in the three tiers below you in the organisation do you know by name?

• A. All of them
• B. Most of them
• C. Some of them
• D. Only those who report directly to me

4. Could you do the jobs that the people who work for you do?

• A. No, that’s what they are there for
• B. I could if I had the same training that is available to them
• C. They could do my job better than I do
• D. I don’t really understand what they do

5. What happens when you delegate tasks to people?

• A. They still check back with you before taking decisions
• B. You give them lots of help and assistance
• C. They have the authority to do what it takes to get the job done, and you trust them to do it
• D. Some of the tasks you delegate never get done

6. How would you describe your team?

• A. An explosive mix of individual personalities
• B. A varied mixture of talents each with something to contribute
• C. A group of individuals working on their own projects
• D. A cohesive whole working towards a common goal

7. How do you manage conflict?

• A. I keep my head down and hope it goes away
• B. I knock some heads together
• C. I talk to the people concerned and try to understand their concerns
• D. I don’t tolerate any form of conflict

8. What would your staff describe you?

• A. Firm but fair
• B. Competent but overpaid
• C. Strict and unapproachable
• D. Inspirational and trustworthy

Answers

Award yourself points as follows.

Q1. A 0, B 2, C 1, D 0
Q2. A 2, B 0, C 0, D 0
Q3. A 2, B 1, C 0, D 0
Q4. A 1, B 2, C 0, D 0
Q5. A 0, B 1, C 2, D 0
Q6. A 0, B 1, C 0, D 2
Q7. A 0, B 0, C 2, D 0
Q8. A 1, B 0, C 0, D 2

Rating

Take a look at the ratings below and see how you can improve your staff management skills:

Score 0–6

Your management skills could do with a little work. If you are lucky, the people who work for you may be able to work autonomously, but to get the best out of them will require effort from you. Look back through these questions to identify areas of weakness and consider additional training on these topics.

Score 7–11

You are a competent manager, but you still have the opportunity to hone your skills. You may need to pay particular attention to certain aspects of your management style; look back at the questions to find any weak spots. You should be proud of what you have achieved, but you owe it to your organisation, your team and yourself to push that little bit harder.

Score 12–16

Well done! Your staff respect and admire your effective leadership, allowing you to get the most out of them. Although there is always room to add new skills to your portfolio, you should recognise that you are doing a good job and be proud of that fact.