Assignment Worksheet & Question Themes

Select 1 question from each theme below, 4 questions in total.

You will then respond to each question in the worksheet. The worksheet also includes helpful tips for completing the assignment.

Theme 1: Inspiring and Motivating Individuals

• Question 1.1 Describe a situation when you encountered a demotivated, disengaged employee. What did you do to address the situation and evaluate the outcome of your approach?
• Question 1.2 What keeps you motivated at work? Why?
• Question 1.3 You should know that we have limited funds for pay raises for next year. How would you keep your team motivated?
• Question 1.4 Imagine a peer comes to you for advice. She has to deliver critical performance feedback to one of her employees who is struggling at work. How would you help her prepare?
• Question 1.5 How would you manage perceptions of unfairness in your team?
• Question 1.6 How would you go about developing an inspiring vision for your team?

Theme 2: Managing Talent

• Question 2.1 In this role, you would have to build your own team. How would you go about locating and hiring the right talent?
• Question 2.2 We are concerned about the upcoming wave of retirements in our ranks in the next six to twelve months. How would you advise we prepare?
• Question 2.3 We have two new teammates joining us next month. How would you structure their onboarding?
• Question 2.4 Describe a situation when you felt you did not effectively develop an employee. What happened? What did you learn from that situation?
• Question 2.5 If you were asked to design a performance management system for your team or organization, what would be the key features of the feedback system and why?
• Question 2.6 We have a team member who needs coaching. How would you engage this person to help them improve their performance?

Theme 3: Influencing People

• Question 3.1 What is the idea you are most passionate about? Can you try to convince me to support that idea in 2-3 min?
• Question 3.2 Recall the last time you encountered resistance to your ideas. What did you do to overcome it?
• Question 3.3 How do you ensure that your peers and superiors are persuaded by your ideas?
• Question 3.4 When was the last time you had to influence your superior? What did you do to be effective in that situation?
• Question 3.5 Tell me about a time when you had to explain a complex problem/concept to a diverse audience. What was your approach and how did you gauge how successful you were?
• Question 3.6 Describe a time when you had to achieve a goal working with a cross-functional team where you did not have formal authority. How did you operate? What challenges did you experience and how did you address them?

Theme 4: Managing Teams

• Question 4.1 What do you believe enables a team to be successful? How did you leverage those success factors in your teams?
• Question 4.2 Describe a conflict you were involved in. What happened and how did you go about resolving it?
• Question 4.3 Do you believe there is a place for conflict on your teams?
• Question 4.4 How did you leverage diversity on your teams?
• Question 4.5 How could you improve the creativity of your team?
• Question 4.6 Tell me about a time when your team did not make an effective decision, and how you would manage the team differently to ensure a more effective decision.