5300 Quiz 4 Flashcards
1
Q
The benefits of becoming more time conscious are?
A
Increased job satisfaction & productivity. Improved interpersonal relationships. Better future direction. Reduced stress. Enhanced health.
2
Q
The time wasters, common sources of wasted time?
A
Failure to delegate; to plan & establish priorities. Over-planning & organizing. Face-to-face contacts. Telephone. Computer. Meetings. Paperwork. Personal habits.
3
Q
The biggest wast of time in face-to-face contact is found in?
A
the tendency to engage in excessive small talk and social conversation when we should be dealing with business.
4
Q
How to address the problem of drop-in-visitors:
A
Refer them to the appropriate department, ex. purchasing. Have visitors screened. Have them make appointments for better time. Learn to control social conversations with other employees who visit. Take control your own time.
5
Q
What is the major force in the productive use of time?
A
the process of planning & setting priorities, along with proper delegation.
6
Q
Strategies for making the telephone work for you.
A
Have calls help when in meetings, etc. Forward calls when you will be away. Jot down what you want to say b4 calling. Return all your calls at one time each day. Leave a detailed voicemails.
7
Q
Strategies to enhance meeting efficiency:
A
Only held when necessary. Planned and organized w/ specific purposes in mind. Started on time, end on time. Keep to the subject.
8
Q
Strategies to enhance efficiency when doing paperwork:
A
Sort into 3 categories: 1. Items which are urgent &/or can be dealt w/ in a few minutes. 2. Items which require time, or can be done at leisure - delegate much of this. 3. Items to discard.
9
Q
What is the relationship between stress and time management?
A
Stress is often caused by a sense of loss of control. Time management allows us to regain some control and there by reduce stress.
10
Q
From where do time wasting pressures come?
A
Your boss. The system. Your employees. Yourself.
11
Q
What is the moral of the story regarding the use of rocks to illustrate good time management?
A
Put large rocks in the jar first to be sure important things get accomplished
12
Q
What is the major way that managers waste time by failing to delegate? Managers
A
spend time doing things that others could do very well
13
Q
How is time wasted when supervisors fail to plan and establish priorities?
A
Tasks of lesser importance consume a disproportionate amount of time.
14
Q
When are planning and organizing a waste of time? When they
A
Occur to excess
15
Q
What is the first step in making good use of your time?
A
Conduct a thorough analysis of how you use your time
16
Q
When preparing a work objective, what elements are necessary?
A
What is to be done. How much is to be accomplished. When does it need to be completed
17
Q
What is the best way for a manager to handle incoming mail?
A
First sort according to importance
18
Q
When do work pressures and stresses lead to physical and psychological problems for a manager?
A
When the manager experiences a loss of control.
19
Q
T/F? The manager who effectively manages time will experience less stress on the job.
A
True
20
Q
What is the best thing to do if your boss gives you a task that, time-wise, you are unable to handle?
A
Honestly discuss your situation, consider a compromise
21
Q
What should you do if everyone around you has poor time management practices?
A
Take leadership in improving the system
22
Q
In the case, “Ten Minutes to Spare,” what is the best solution?
A
Meet with Wade then and there.
23
Q
What is the danger in meeting with Wade then and there?
A
He’ll take up more than 10 minutes.
24
Q
If you decide to meet with Wade, what is the best way to manage your time?
A
Control the meeting, stick to the ten minutes
25
Why might it be important to meet with Wade then and there?
The finance director came to your office, the issue probably deserves your immediate attention
26
What are the common barriers to supervisory effectiveness?
Fear of failure. The search for perfection. Temper.
27
What are the stress producers that can be at work within ourselves?
Self-doubt - lack of confidence in own abilities. Lack of organization. Inability to plan and prioritize. Perfectionism. Inability to say no. Tendency to take all problems as indication of our shortcomings. Tendency to take all criticism personally.
28
How do you improve your effectiveness as a supervisor?
Conscientious self-improvement in the use of your personal resources.
29
What are the 3 categories of paperwork?
1. Genuinely must do immediately 2. Takes time to do it, possibly delegate 3. Toss it
30
What are resources to improve yourself?
Initiative. Organization. Individual planning & goal setting. Look into ways to organize & plan
31
Stress
The non-specific response of the body's ability to prepare itself instantaneously to respond to physical threat; emotional as well as physical. Or loss of control
32
Sources of stress
Personal life, total job environment, yourself
33
What are strategies to coping w/ supervisory stress?
Learn to say no or speak up. Do not let your work grow. Delegate. Vary your pace. When the going gets rough, take a few minutes to relax.
34
Personal orientation
Internal vs. external focus. Narrow vs. Broad scope
35
Internal focus
Involvement - personally affected by what goes on, you feel the distress of others
36
External focus
Detachment - don't take things personally, cope with stress better.
37
Narrow scope
Deal better with one task at a time
38
Broad scope
"Juggle" a variety of tasks. Multitasks well.
39
Performance orientation
Functional vs. personal focus. Reactive vs. assertive scope.
40
Functional focus
Focus on the next most important task to be done.
41
Personal focus
Focus on personal favorite tasks first
42
Reactive scope
Waits to be told what to do. Only responds to what happens.
43
Assertive scope
Proactive
44
A functional and assertive supervisor wil:
Complete high priority tasks first. Important problems are taken care of in a timely manner even when unpleasant or difficult. Accomplishment & achievement give them job satisfaction. Meets the needs of the org.
45
Over which do we have more control: scope of focus?
Scope is less emotionally tied than focus - we can control our scope more.
46
What is the first step in becoming an effective manager?
Acknowledge that your success begins with self-management
47
In which of the following is initiative LEAST essential for a new manager?
Task performance
48
Initiative is essential in the following:
Use of time. Self-improvement. Personal organization.
49
What are the five things you can do to nurture effective self-management?
Initiative. Personal organization. Individual planning and goal setting. Prioritize Effective use of time.
50
Key barriers to personal effectiveness?
Fair of failure. Desire to be perfect. Uncontrolled temper.
51
What is the first step in handling barriers to personal effectiveness?
Awareness of the offending quality
52
How can you prevent file drawers from serving you poorly?
Clean out the contents regularly
53
What should you throw away when cleaning your office?
Suppliers' catalogues and price lists from last year
54
What should you do with important items received in the past week and need at the end of the month?
File them
55
Which of the following is NOT considered essential for personnel?
Franklin planner
56
What are considered essential for personal organization?
Daily to-do list. Simple planning calendar. Flexibility: time to deal with the unexpected. Also, it's good to work against personal deadlines.
57
What is an appropriate way to describe the stress experienced by a manager?
Loss of control
58
T/F? A common source of managerial stress is one's personality, inherent capabilities, and approach to daily living.
True
59
Which of the following is a good long term antidote to job stress?
Delegate
60
For a manager, what is generally the major source of wasted time?
We allow others to waste our time
61
What was the fatal flaw in Kay's planning (situation at the beginning of the chapter)?
She didn't leave time for the unexpected
62
T/F? A lack of personal organization can contribute greatly to job stress.
True
63
Which of the following types of personal orientation would be best for a supervisor?
Broad scope and external focus
64
A supervisor would probably perform best if she were in which of the following performance types?
Assertive posture and functional emphasis
65
The six steps of the basic decision-making process are:
1) ID the problem 2) Gather information. 3) Analyzing information & arranging it into alternatives. 4) Choosing an alternative. 5) Implementing the chosen alternative. 6) Follow-up on implementation
66
What is the central element of decision-making?
Analyzing information and choosing an alternative.
67
Choosing an alternative
Think of the outcomes & weigh them. Implementation is the action step. Following-up is the weakest step.
68
ID the problem
Watch that you do not just look at the symptoms. Gather info - try to watch for main sources of info. You can never get all of the info, so collect relevant info to make sound decisions
69
Constraints
Those imitating conditions that rule out certain alternatives: time, money, quality of care & service, personalities - Who will instigate?, politics
70
Absolut constraint
Clearly defines a limit beyond which you cannot go, for ex. the cost of an item
71
Practical constraints
More often than not, constraints present themselves by limiting the practicality of a decision. An alternative is impractical under the circumstances. It's not practical.
72
What is the relationship between decision making and the basic functions of management?
Decision making is part of all basic management functions.
73
What must you consider when IDing the problem?
Is it really a problem at all? The nature of the problem - unique; common & recurring problem; or self-resolving. Is it the real problem of a symptom there of?
74
How much and what kind of data do you need when gathering information?
Gather enough info to give you some degree of assurance that you are making a decision consistent with reasonable risks. Be sure it is fact based.
75
What questions need to be answered when choosing from among alternatives?
Does this deal answer deal with the problem rather than with an effect. Will this answer have the effect of creating policy or precedent, will it formally guide future decisions? Will the implementation of this solution have adverse effects on other areas of the operation?
76
Choosing an alternative
Think of the outcomes and weigh them. Implementation is the action step. Following-up is the weakest step.
77
What word is used to characterize "implementing the chosen alternative?"
Implementation is action, putting the decision to work
78
What constraints hamper decision making for health care managers?
Time, money, quality, personalities, politics, absolute and practical constraints.
79
In terms of risk, what is the objective when making decisions?
To refine judgement by learning as much as it is practical to learn about the alternatives.
80
What is the range of decisions that must be made by a health care professional?
From purely objective (or totally fact based) to completely subjective (totally judgmental decision.)
81
What single circumstance has the greatest effect on the character of any particular decision?
The imposition of pressure.
82
What are the limits of a manager's decisions?
limitation of the time available in which to investigate properly and make a decision.
83
How does decision making differ among the different leadership styles?
How much decision making authority you delegate to your employees will be a direct reflection of your leadership style.
84
Pre-decision making step?
Awareness of the likely existence of a problem that causes the decision maker to apply conscious effort to determine what may be wrong.
85
What is the relationship between decision-making and the basic functions of management?
All functions require decision-making
86
What is the central and essential element of decision-making?
Choosing from among alternatives
87
What is the first step in decision-making?
Define the problem
88
One's supervisory decisions are greatly influenced by personal values and experience?
True
89
Many decisions are imperfect; decisions are often compromised by lack of resources or the situation?
True
90
Which of the following IS NOT a step in the formal decision making process?
Arriving at consensus
91
What must you consider when identifying the problem?
Be sure you are dealing with a real problem, not a symptom
92
How much data do you need when gathering information?
All relevant information needed to make a sound decision
93
Weightier and more costly decisions require you to obtain more and better information in the data gathering phase?
True
94
All data should be treated in the same way, regardless of its source or type?
False
95
What causes the decision-making process to get bogged down?
Feeling you never have "enough" information to make a good choice
96
Of the following, What question do you need to answer when choosing from among alternatives?
Does this choice best meet our needs and preferences?
97
What word is used to characterize "Implementing the chosen alternative?"
Action
98
What is the weakest part of the decision making process?
Follow-up on implementation
99
Having made a decision, never turn back -- even if people resist the change you need to implement the choice?
False
100
Of the following, which IS NOT a constraint to decision-making?
Teamwork
101
How do constraints impact decision making?
They limit the list of viable alternatives
102
In terms of risk, what is your goal when making decisions?
Keep risk and uncertainty to a minimum
103
Health care professionals make decisions that range from the highly objective to the purely judgmental?
True
104
The manager's decisions should be within the range of ______.
designated authority
105
Which leadership style will include employees greatest in decision making?
Participative
106
With regard to the situation presented at the beginning of the chapter, what is the primary decision making challenge facing Helen, the manager?
Lack of awareness of the problem
107
A budget is?
A financial plan that serves as a financial guide for a coming period of activity (usually one year)
108
Participative budgeting
Yields the most realistic budgets. Encourages supervisory commitment. Strengthens inter-department relationships. Enhances team spirit. Encourages more realistic planning.
109
Fiscal year
Consecutive 12-month period established for accounting purposes (in most places is now the calendar year)
110
Fixed vs. flexible budgeting
Fixed budget assumes operations evenly spaced throughout the year, flexible budget allows for seasonal or other variations.
111
The total budget
The operating budget. The capital budget. The cash budget.
112
The operating budget includes three parts
Statistical budget, expense budget, revenue budget
113
Statistical budget
Projections of activities for following year, ex. admissions or discharges expected, number to tests.) Could be projected by year or month based on knowledge of past history. Based on past data & future projections. The "best guess" for the coming year.
114
Expense budget
Attempts to anticipate costs of operations for each department individually and the organization as a whole. Includes personnel costs and all other costs. Primary area of supervisory involvement.
115
Revenue budget
Projection of the income likely to be received by the institution during the budget year.
116
Zero-based budget
Budget in which you must state why you want everything.
117
What is budget usually based on?
historical facts.
118
The capital budget
Expenditures for major fixed and movable equipment - costs spread out for a number of accounting periods. Requests for these items are competitive within an institution. Takes a lot of planning.
119
The capital budget includes the following:
Expression of the priority of purchase. Projection of costs. Project description and justification. Identification as addition, replacement, or improvement. Projected impact on revenue.
120
Cash budget
Completed last. Estimates of the institution's cash needs as compared with projections of cash receipts over the term covered by the budget.
121
A budget is a plan that...
attempts to look into a time period in the future and is necessarily based on projections and estimates.
122
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
the amount of labor input equivalent to one full-time employee.
123
Staffing standards
either engineered, predetermined, or comparative benchmarks
124
Budget coordination meeting
Kick off of budgeting activity, usually held 3 to 4 months before the budget is due to the board
125
With which function of management is budgeting associated?
Planning
126
What are ways a budget can be used in a department?
Control mechanism. Cost-containment tool. Can be basis of performance evaluation. Means of directing efforts towards productivity improvement.
127
Why is it useful to involve supervisors in the budgeting process?
The budget is more realistic and workable. More committed because they helped develop it. IDT becomes stronger through collaboration. Fosters teamwork. Encourages more realistic planning.
128
What is a "fiscal year?"
The 12 month accounting year, may be any 12 month consecutive period.
129
Fixed versus flexible budgeting refers to?
The structural character of the budget relative to activity throughout the year.
130
Fixed budget
Simpler. Assumes a stable level of operations throughout the year & spreads all budgeted costs evenly across the 12 months.
131
Flexible budget
Some costs are treated as fixed because they are fixed, or because it is easier to handle them that way. Some costs are flexible because they vary based on departmental activity.
132
What are the three major parts of an operating budget?
Statistical budget. Expense budget. Revenue budget
133
How does a manager arrive at anticipated personnel costs for a budget?
Determines projected work hours and non-worked hours based on historical data, projected pay increases, and anti pated work load. Assumes uniform distribution of worked hours.
134
Staffing
Determining how many people of what specific skills are needed and making them available.
135
Scheduling
Determining who, by name and skill, will do what work and when (specific time period.)
136
With which basic function of management is staffing associated?
Organizing and establishing the framework within which the work will get done.
137
With which basic function of management is scheduling associated?
Planning. A schedule is a quantitative plan for a coming period of time.
138
A position covered 2 shifts per day, 7 days/week requires ? FTE?
2.8
139
Staffing standard
A number that reasonably relates required staff to the department's basic unit of output.
140
Zero-budgeting
It is assumed that nothing is in place and a case must be built for what will be needed to accommodate the expected volume.
141
What are staffing standards and benchmarks as they relate to productivity?
they give a guideline for the number of FTE per unit output.
142
Responsibility of the board of directors in budgeting process?
Ultimately responsible for everything in the budget and thus retain final authority for final approval of the budget.
143
Responsibility of the administrator of CEO in budgeting?
Must ensure the budget being submitted is in line with the goals of the organization, is realistic and reasonable.
144
Responsibility of the finance director in budgeting?
Active role in preparing the cash and revenue budgets, and in assembling all pieces of the operating budget into a total budget.
145
Responsibility of supervisors and department heads in budgeting?
Assembling the expense and capital budgets for their own departments.
146
Cost center
The smallest organizational unit for which a budget is prepared.
147
Budget committee
CEO, finance director, director of nursing, & other major department heads, and possibly board finance member. Establish and distribute the guidelines for budget prep.
148
Budget Variance Report
pp
149
Budget summery presented to the board generally includes:
Narrative description and some key elements. Condensed income statement for the budget period. Summary of capital expenditures. Cash analysis. Key factors used in forecasting. Budget's estimated impact on services & finances.
150
With which functions of management is the budget closely associated?
Planning and controlling
151
What are important uses for the budget?
Cost-contatinment. Performance evaluation. Tool for productivity improvement.
152
What is the result from "involving supervisors in the budgeting process?"
Stronger commitment. Enhanced spirit of teamwork. A more realistic budget.
153
What is a "fiscal year?"
12-month accounting year
154
What type of budget is it when costs are divided equally among the 12 months?
Fixed
155
With a flexible budget, the budget for February is likely to be somewhat less than the budget for March?
True
156
Of the following, which WOULD NOT be part of the operating budget?
Capital budget
157
The opening of a new Orthopoedic Hospital in the area will have a major impact on the statistical budgets of other hospitals.
True
158
How might you define a "budget?"
Control tool
159
When a manager says, "I've got to work on the budget," what is s/he usually referring to?
Operating budget
160
What is the first step in the budgetary process?
Guidelines set and distributed by administration.
161
Of the following which IS NOT part of the capital budget?
equiment repair
162
In what part of the budget would you find heating and air conditioning?
indirect expenses
163
Which of the following IS NOT part of the personnel budget?
Overtime
164
What is part of the personnel budget?
Fringe benefits. Wage and salary. Anticipated raises.
165
In which part of the budgeting process do supervisors have greatest involvement?
Expense budget
166
How many FTEs are needed to cover a position that needs to be filled for only one shift for seven days?
1.4
167
How many FTE are needed to cover your department for one week if you have 3 positions on each of 3 shifts?
12.6
168
How many EMPLOYEES do you need if you require 4.5 FTE and only two of your staff work 40 hours/week?
Unknown
169
Who gives final approval for the budget of a health care institution?
Governing board
170
T/F? In zero based budgeting expenses generally show an incremental increase of 2-3%?
False
171
What is the basis of staffing standards and benchmarks as they relate to productivity?
Minutes/hours needed to accomplish the department's workload
172
On the sample budget in the Course Notes, for what line item has the department spent more than it budgeted?
Printing and photocopying
173
On the sample budget in the Course Notes, which category is most over budget for the year?
Supplies and other expenses
174
What does the department head do when engaged in a variance analysis?
justifies differences between actual expenditures and budgeted amounts
175
When would a department head write a budget justification? When
requesting a new piece of equipment
176
You have two open positions and have been unable to find suitable persons to hire. You are considering asking administration to let you use personnel from a health care employment service to cover certain shifts. Which of the following will be required?
cost comparisons
177
For personnel costs, when must a manager answer for variances between the budget and actual expenditures?
+ 1- 2%
178
Why is there a difference in allowable variances between personnel costs and nonpersonnel expenses?
Personnel costs comprise more than half the budget
179
According to the article "Before you make that big Decision" Which of the following questions should be asked before making a decision:
Have credible alternatives been considered. Have the people making the decision fallen in love with it?
180
Should you be overly cautious when making big business decisions?
No. According the article
181
What are the quadrants in the Covey square?
Important/Due soon. Important/Not due soon. Not important/Due soon. Not important/Not due soon.
182
According to Randy Pausch, should your email inbox be used as a ToDo list?
No
183
The involvement of individual supervisors in the budgeting process encourages their commitment; committed, they are more likely to strive to make it work?
True
184
A budget serves several purposes for the institution and the individual supervisor, including:
Being a quantitative expression of the institution's operating intentions.
185
Most of the important elements in decision making are present in every decision-making situation even though they might not be openly noticeable?
True
186
In making today's decisions and looking ahead to the need to make decisions in the future, the manager should:
Recognize that it is not possible to anticipate all contingencies and pre-make all decisions
187
In addition to a brief task list revised and up dated each day, it also is helpful for the supervisor to:
Create and maintain a simple planning calendar for known commitments
188
Excess delegation is often revealed as a significant time waster?
False
189
Over-planning and over-organizing present hazards for some supervisors because:
They reduce efficiency by consuming time that should be applied to getting things done.
190
Job-related stress will usually arise from all of the following except?
Delegation has distributed some of the supervisor's authority to employees
191
Job-related stress will usually arise from:
Work piles up and the backlog seems to get larger all the time. Demanding supervisors exert pressure with more assignments, changing priorities, and tighter deadlines. A growing feeling of working in the midst of disorganization and confusion.
