Emotional Intelligence Questions

Question 1

1. Juno is fairly sure his company is going down and his job is under threat. It is a large company and nothing official has been said.
   What action would be the most effective for Juno?
   (a) Find out what is happening and discuss his concerns with his family.
   (b) Try to keep the company afloat by working harder.
   (c) Start applying for other jobs
   (d) Think of these events as an opportunity for a new start.

Answer 1

Answers/marks; a:1 b:0 c:0.5 d:0

(a) Find out what is happening and discuss his concerns with his family.
This is the best answer as until Juno has more information about what is or is not happening with his job, he cannot make the best decision for his career going forward. This option also allows him to talk to his family and obtain feedback or support.

(b) Try to keep the company afloat by working harder.
Since it is a large company, it would be unreasonable to assume that efforts made by Juno would be enough to keep the entire business afloat, and therefore would not be an effective solution to his problem.

(c) Start applying for other jobs
This option allows Juno to have a backup plan in the worst-case scenario that he did end up losing his job. However, it is only partially correct as it does not give him any more clarity on the likelihood of losing the job and so does not address all his concerns.

(d) Think of these events as an opportunity for a new start.
Similarly to option c, this option does not help Juno get any more information about what is happening with the company. It is less correct because it also does not provide any concrete plan for Juno going forward, but rather just suggests a possible mindset change.

Question 2

2. Wendy and Connie shared an office for years, but then Wendy got a new job and Connie lost contact with her.
   What action would be the most effective for Connie?
   (a) Just accept that Wendy has gone, and the friendship is over.
   (b) Ring Wendy and ask her out for lunch or coffee to catch up.
   (c) Contact Wendy and arrange to catch up but also make friends with her replacement.
   (d) Spend time getting to know the other people in the office and strike up new friendships.

Answer 2

Question 2.
Wendy and Connie shared an office for years, but then Wendy got a new job and Connie lost contact with her.
What action would be the most effective for Connie?
Answers/marks; a:0 b,d:0.5 c:1
(a) Just accept that Wendy has gone, and the friendship is over.
This is the most ineffective action for Connie to take. There is no attempt in this option to either resolve the relationship with Wendy or strike up new friendships, leaving Connie isolated in the work environment
(b) Ring Wendy and ask her out for lunch or coffee to catch up.
This is not a bad option, as it allows Connie to reconnect with Wendy, but it does not help her in terms of finding new companions at work.
(c) Contact Wendy and arrange to catch up but also make friends with her replacement.
This is the most effective action for Connie to take, as this gives her an option to rekindle her friendship with Wendy but also leaves her open to a relationship with the replacement who is now sharing her office.
(d) Spend time getting to know the other people in the office and strike up new friendships.
Similarly to option b, this action only targets one of the components of this situation. While Connie will make new friends, she still will not have gotten back in touch with Wendy.

Question 3

3. Max is only a few years from retirement when he finds out his position will no longer exist, although he will still have a job with a less prestigious role. What action would be the most effective for Max?
   (a) Carefully consider his options and discuss it with his family.
   (b) Talk to his boss or the management about it.
   (c) Accept the situation, but still feel bitter about it.
   (d) Walk out of that job.

Answer 3

Question 3.
Max is only a few years from retirement when he finds out his position will no longer exist, although he will still have a job with a less prestigious role. What action would be the most effective for Max?
Answers/marks; b:1 a: 0.5 c,d:0
(a) Carefully consider his options and discuss it with his family.
This action would help Max figure out what his alternatives are in this situation and get support from his family. However, because it does not include communicating with the management who are ultimately making the decisions about the job, it is not the most effective option.
(b) Talk to his boss or the management about it.
This is the best option for Max as it presents him with the opportunity to voice his concerns to management, and possibly even try to negotiate a more favourable outcome.
(c) Accept the situation, but still feel bitter about it.
Since he still has a few years left in the job, suppressing any bitterness about being effectively demoted from his previous role is not a suitable strategy for Max in the long term.
(d) Walk out of that job.
If Max were to simply walk out of the job, there is no guarantee that he would be able to find another opportunity equal to or better than the one he just left and so this is not a viable option.

Question 4

4. Sam starts a new job where he doesn’t know anyone and finds that no one is particularly friendly. What action would be the most effective for Sam?
   (a) Have fun with his friends outside of work hours.
   (b) Concentrate on doing his work well at the new job.
   (c) Make an effort to talk to people and be friendly himself.
   (d) Leave the job and find one with a better environment.

Answer 4

Question 4.
Sam starts a new job where he doesn’t know anyone and finds that no one is particularly friendly. What action would be the most effective for Sam?
Answers/marks; a,b,d:0 c:1
(a) Have fun with his friends outside of work hours.
This action would help Sam feel better when he is outside of the work environment and enjoying his free time. However, it does little to resolve how he feels at his new job.
(b) Concentrate on doing his work well at the new job.
There is no real indication that the standard of Sam’s work is the issue at the new job, and so in the context of the attitudes of his colleagues this would do little to improve the situation.
(c) Make an effort to talk to people and be friendly himself.
This is the most effective action for Sam to take. As he has only started at this job, it would be more effective to try and get to know his new colleagues more over time than to give up before giving it a chance.
(d) Leave the job and find one with a better environment.
This action may not be effective for Sam, as there is no guarantee he will be able to get a job with a better work environment and that, as the new employee, he won’t feel the same there.

Question 5

5. Andre moves away from the city in which his friends and family live. He finds his friends make less effort to keep in contact than he thought they would.
   What action would be the most effective for Andre?
   (a) Try to adjust to life in the new city by joining clubs and activities there.
   (b) He should make the effort to contact them, but also try to meet people in his new city.
   (c) Let go of his old friends, who have shown themselves to be unreliable.
   (d) Tell his friends he is disappointed in them for not contacting him.

Answer 5

Question 5.
Andre moves away from the city in which his friends and family live. He finds his friends make less effort to keep in contact than he thought they would.
What action would be the most effective for Andre?
Answers/marks; a:0.75 b:1 c,d:0
(a) Try to adjust to life in the new city by joining clubs and activities there.
Regardless of the reasons his old friends are not keeping in regular contact with him, Andre is still living in this new city and so should make efforts to meet new people and form relationships there. What stops this from being the most effective answer is that it does not address Andre’s concerns about his old friends distancing themselves.
(b) He should make the effort to contact them, but also try to meet people in his new city. This is the most effective action for Andre to take as it allows him to socialise in the new environment he is in, without writing off his previous friendships. Attempting to get in contact with them also provides the opportunity to find out whether there are any other factors to why they haven’t been keeping in touch, rather than assuming they’re just being unreliable.
(c) Let go of his old friends, who have shown themselves to be unreliable.
Considering these were friends of Andre’s previously, it is a very definitive decision to take and not effective in either getting back in regular contact with them or finding out the reasons they had distanced themselves.
(d) Tell his friends he is disappointed in them for not contacting him.
This action gives Andre the opportunity to communicate how he feels. However, it does not take any real action to adjust to his new surroundings.

Question 6

6. Clayton has been overseas for a long time and returns to visit his family. So much has changed that Clayton now feels left out.
   What action would be the most effective for Clayton?
   (a) Nothing - it will sort itself out soon enough.
   (b) Tell his family he feels left out.
   (c) Spend time listening and getting involved again.
   (d) Reflect on the reality that relationships can change with time.

Answer 6

Question 6.
Clayton has been overseas for a long time and returns to visit his family. So much has changed that Clayton now feels left out.
What action would be the most effective for Clayton?
Answers/marks; a,b,d:0 c:1
(a) Nothing - it will sort itself out soon enough.
This action assumes things will improve, with no named effort on Clayton or his family’s behalf to change them. As there is nothing to suggest this will definitely happen, this is not an entirely effective answer.
(b) Tell his family he feels left out.
Even though this option allows Clayton to express how he is feeling, it does not demonstrate any understanding of the fact that because he has been away for so long, it just may take time to fall back into old dynamics.
(c) Spend time listening and getting involved again.
This would be the most effective action for Clayton to take. While he has been away for so long, it is noted that a lot has changed, and it would benefit Clayton to understand these changes and then try to reintegrate himself.
(d) Reflect on the reality that relationships can change with time.
Unlike option b, this demonstrates the understanding that some things change over time. However, it does not include any action Clayton can take to reinvolve himself.

Question 7

7. Daniel has been accepted for a prestigious position in a different country from his family, with whom he is close. He and his wife decide it is worth relocating.
   What action would be the most effective for Daniel?
   (a) Realize he shouldn’t have applied for the job if he didn’t want to leave.
   (b) Set up a system for staying in touch, like weekly phone calls or emails.
   (c) Think about the great opportunities this change offers.
   (d) Don’t take the position.

Answer 7

Question 7.
Daniel has been accepted for a prestigious position in a different country from his family, with whom he is close. He and his wife decide it is worth relocating.
What action would be the most effective for Daniel?
Answers/marks; b:1 a,c,d:0
(a) Realize he shouldn’t have applied for the job if he didn’t want to leave.
There is no indication that Daniel does not want to leave at all. Although it is mentioned that he is very close to his family and the job would take him away from them, it isn’t suggested that this is a big enough factor to affect his decision.
(b) Set up a system for staying in touch, like weekly phone calls or emails.
This is the most effective decision for Daniel. He still gets to avail of the opportunities his new job offers, but he will also remain in close contact with his family and preserve those relationships. It is also the only option that provides him with a way to do both things
(c) Think about the great opportunities this change offers.
This is not a bad perspective for Daniel to have, but in terms of weighting the decision’s effectiveness it does not help Daniel maintain his close relationship with his family.
(d) Don’t take the position.
As Daniel and his wife have already decided that the new job is worth relocating for, it would be unreasonable to give it up entirely.

Question 8

8. Mandy answers the phone and hears that close relatives are in hospital critically ill.
   What action would be the most effective for Mandy?
   (a) Let herself cry and express emotion for as long as she feels like.
   (b) Speak to other family members to calm herself and find out what is happening, then visit the hospital.
   (c) There is nothing she can do.
   (d) Visit the hospital and ask staff about their condition.

Answer 8

Question 8.
Mandy answers the phone and hears that close relatives are in hospital critically ill.
What action would be the most effective for Mandy?
Answers/marks; a,c:0 d:0.5 b:1
(a) Let herself cry and express emotion for as long as she feels like.
This is not a very effective option, as it does not include any real action Mandy could take to make herself feel better or understand more about what is happening.
(b) Speak to other family members to calm herself and find out what is happening, then visit the hospital.
This is the most effective action for Mandy to take. It allows her to both collect her thoughts and calm down and check in on those who are ill.
(c) There is nothing she can do.
This is a very ineffective option as it does not include any action for Mandy to take at all.
(d) Visit the hospital and ask staff about their condition.
This is not an ineffective option, as Mandy will now have more information about her family’s condition and be able to check on them. However, it does not account for Mandy’s own emotional wellbeing and thus it is not the most effective action.

Question 9

9. Shona has not spoken to her nephew for months, whereas when he was younger they were very close. She rings him but he can only talk for five minutes.
   What action would be the most effective for Shona?
   (a) Realize that he is growing up and might not want to spend so much time with his family anymore.
   (b) Make plans to drop by and visit him in person and have a good chat.
   (c) Understand that relationships change, but keep calling him from time to time.
   (d) Be upset about it but realize there is nothing she can do.

Answer 9

Question 9.
Shona has not spoken to her nephew for months, whereas when he was younger they were very close. She rings him but he can only talk for five minutes.
What action would be the most effective for Shona?
Answers/marks; c:1 a,b,d: 0
(a) Realize that he is growing up and might not want to spend so much time with his family anymore.
This option, while demonstrating an understanding of the reasons her nephew might not be in touch as much, seems to abandon their relationship.
(b) Make plans to drop by and visit him in person and have a good chat.
This option, especially when it is not mentioned above that Shona knows exactly why her nephew is busy, could be intrusive if he has specific reasons for distancing himself and could further damage their relationship.
(c) Understand that relationships change, but keep calling him from time to time.
This is the best option as it allows Shona to maintain a relationship with her nephew, but also demonstrates that she is understanding of how the dynamic may have changed since he was younger and that he may have other priorities now.
(d) Be upset about it but realize there is nothing she can do.
Becoming upset about the situation but doing nothing to change it is an unhelpful action for Shona to take, as it will not help her to improve her relationship with her nephew.

Question 10

10. Mina and her sister-in-law normally get along quite well, and the sister-
    in-law regularly baby-sits for her for a small fee. Lately she has also been cleaning away cobwebs, commenting on the mess, which Mina finds insulting.
    What action would be the most effective for Mina?
    (a) Tell her sister-in-law these comments upset her.
    (b) Get a new babysitter.
    (c) Be grateful her house is being cleaned for free.
    (d) Tell her only to baby-sit, not to clean.

Answer 10

Question 10.
Mina and her sister-in-law normally get along quite well, and the sister-
in-law regularly baby-sits for her for a small fee. Lately she has also been cleaning away cobwebs, commenting on the mess, which Mina finds insulting.
What action would be the most effective for Mina?
Answers/marks; a:1 b,c,d:0
(a) Tell her sister-in-law these comments upset her.
Because it is already stated that Mina and her sister-in-law have a good relationship, Mina would be able to bring up how the comments and cleaning are making her feel. She should expect a resolution from her sister-in-law after this conversation.
(b) Get a new babysitter.
This option does not prevent the comments her sister-in-law makes, as they could happen any other time her sister-in-law visits.
(c) Be grateful her house is being cleaned for free.
This option invalidates Mina’s feelings about the comments her sister-in-law makes and does not include any action to resolve the situation.
(d) Tell her only to baby-sit, not to clean.
Similarly to b, this option stops her sister-in-law from physically cleaning but not from making any comments which we know also upsets Mina.

Question 11

11. Mallory moves from a small company to a very large one, where there is little personal contact, which she misses.
    What action would be the most effective for Mallory?
    (a) Talk to her workmates, try to create social contacts and make friends.
    (b) Start looking for a new job so she can leave that environment.
    (c) Just give it time, and things will be okay.
    (d) Concentrate on her outside-work friends and colleagues from previous jobs.

Answer 11

Question 11.
Mallory moves from a small company to a very large one, where there is little personal contact, which she misses.
What action would be the most effective for Mallory?
Answers/marks; b,c,d:0 a:1
(a) Talk to her workmates, try to create social contacts and make friends.
This would be the most effective action for Mallory. If she wants to improve her social contacts at work, she must try to form relationships with her new colleagues.
(b) Start looking for a new job so she can leave that environment.
This would not be an effective solution to Mallory’s problem, as she may get a job in another large company and find herself in the same situation.
(c) Just give it time, and things will be okay.
This action is not very effective, as it is not at all proactive in improving her relationships with others she works with and assumes that eventually things will be like they were at her old job without any real reason to do so.
(d) Concentrate on her outside-work friends and colleagues from previous jobs.
As this option does not include any action Mallory could take to improve her work life, it is not very effective.

Question 12

12. A demanding client takes up a lot of Jill’s time and then asks to speak to Jill’s boss about her performance. Although Jill’s boss assures her that her performance is fine, Jill feels upset.
    What action would be the most effective for Jill?
    (a) Talk to her friends or workmates about it.
    (b) Ignore the incident and move on to her next task.
    (c) Calm down by taking deep breaths or going for a short walk.
    (d) Think that she has been successful in the past and this client being difficult is not her fault.

Answer 12

Question 12.
A demanding client takes up a lot of Jill’s time and then asks to speak to Jill’s boss about her performance. Although Jill’s boss assures her that her performance is fine, Jill feels upset.
What action would be the most effective for Jill?
Answers/marks; b:0 a,d:0.5 c:1
(a) Talk to her friends or workmates about it.
While this may be an effective action for Jill to take, as talking about the situation with her boss did little to make her feel better, we cannot assume that talking to other colleagues or friends will make it better.
(b) Ignore the incident and move on to her next task.
This is not a very effective option, as it does not address Jill’s worries about the client or her performance.
(c) Calm down by taking deep breaths or going for a short walk.
This is the most effective action for Jill, as talking things through with her boss and receiving reassurance about her performance was not enough to make her feel better, it may be helpful to try something else.
(d) Think that she has been successful in the past and this client being difficult is not her fault.
This option is similar to (a) in that while it may be effective, it is not really different from receiving the reassurance from her boss that her performance is good, which as can be seen above, did not help her to feel better.

Question 13

13. Blair and Flynn usually go to a cafe after the working week and chat about what’s going on in the company. After Blair’s job is moved to a different section in the company, he stops coming to the cafe.
    Flynn misses these Friday talks.
    What action would be the most effective for Flynn?
    (a) Go to the cafe or socialize with other workers.
    (b) Don’t worry about it, ignore the changes and let Blair be.
    (c) Not talk to Blair again.
    (d) Invite Blair again, maybe rescheduling for another time.

Answer 13

Question 13.
Blair and Flynn usually go to a cafe after the working week and chat about what’s going on in the company. After Blair’s job is moved to a different section in the company, he stops coming to the cafe.
Flynn misses these Friday talks.
What action would be the most effective for Flynn?
Answers/marks; a,b,c:0 d:1
(a) Go to the cafe or socialize with other workers.
This is not the most effective action for Flynn to take, as it is implied that it is with Blair specifically that he enjoys having these talks.
(b) Don’t worry about it, ignore the changes and let Blair be.
This is not an effective action as it does not provide an option for Flynn to reconnect with Blair or start chatting to someone else.
(c) Not talk to Blair again.
Similarly to (b), this is quite an ineffective action as the question stem makes it evident that Flynn would like to go back to having these talks.
(d) Invite Blair again, maybe rescheduling for another time.
This is the most effective action for Flynn to take, as it allows him to re-establish his and Blair’s tradition but taking into account the changes in Blair’s life.

Question 14

14. Michelle’s friend Dara is moving overseas to live with her partner. They have been good friends for many years and Dara is unlikely to come back.
    What action would be the most effective for Michelle?
    (a) Forget about Dara.
    (b) Spend time with other friends, keeping herself busy.
    (c) Think that Dara and her partner will return soon.
    (d) Make sure she keeps in contact through email, phone or letter writing.

Answer 14

Question 14.
Michelle’s friend Dara is moving overseas to live with her partner. They have been good friends for many years and Dara is unlikely to come back.
What action would be the most effective for Michelle?
Answers/marks; a,c:0 b:0.5 d:1
(a) Forget about Dara.
This is not an effective option for Michelle to tale, as it completely disregards her years of friendship with Dara
(b) Spend time with other friends, keeping herself busy.
This is not a wholly ineffective option overall, but is not the most appropriate answer as it does not address Michelle’s relationship with Dara.
(c) Think that Dara and her partner will return soon.
As the question clearly states that it is unlikely Dara will come back, it would not be in Michelle’s best interest to assume that it will happen.
(d) Make sure she keeps in contact through email, phone or letter writing.
This is the most effective action Michelle can take, as it allows her to remain friends with Dara even though she has moved overseas.

Question 15

15. Hannah’s access to essential resources has been delayed and her work is way behind schedule. Her progress report makes no mention of the lack of resources.
    What action would be the most effective for Hannah?
    (a) Explain the lack of resources to her boss or to management.
    (b) Learn that she should plan ahead for next time.
    (c) Document the lack of resources in her progress report.
    (d) Don’t worry about it.

Answer 15

Question 15.
Hannah’s access to essential resources has been delayed and her work is way behind schedule. Her progress report makes no mention of the lack of resources.
What action would be the most effective for Hannah?
Answers/marks; b,d:0 c:0.75 a:1
(a) Explain the lack of resources to her boss or to management.
This is the most effective action for Hannah, as it allows her to immediately communicate the problems, she has faced in completing her work directly to management.
(b) Learn that she should plan ahead for next time.
This option is not necessarily incorrect, but it is not effective in dealing with the situation Hannah finds herself in currently.
(c) Document the lack of resources in her progress report.
This is an effective option but would not be considered the most effective as given the circumstances it would be more advisable to inform someone in management more immediately about the problem.
(d) Don’t worry about it.
This is not an effective action for Hannah to take, as without explanation of why she is behind she could suffer consequences of a problem that was not her fault.

Question 16

16. Reece’s friend points out that her young children seem to be developing more quickly than Reece’s.
    Reece sees that this is true.
    What action would be the most effective for Reece?
    (a) Talk the issue over with another friend.
    (b) Angrily confront her friend about making such statements.
    (c) Realize that children develop at different rates.
    (d) Talk to a doctor about what the normal rates of development are.

Answer 16

Question 16.
Reece’s friend points out that her young children seem to be developing more quickly than Reece’s.
Reece sees that this is true.
What action would be the most effective for Reece?
Answers/marks; a,b,c:0 d:1
(a) Talk the issue over with another friend.
As Reece already knows that her children are developing later than those of her friend, talking to another friend about it would not be very effective in either helping her understand why or finding a solution.
(b) Angrily confront her friend about making such statements.
This would not be an effective action for Reece to take, especially as she has already acknowledged her friend’s statement was right.
(c) Realize that children develop at different rates.
This is not the most effective way Reece could go about handling the situation, as similarly to (a) it does not add to her understanding of what is happening.
(d) Talk to a doctor about what the normal rates of development are.
This is the most effective action for Reece to take, as she can now find out whether she should be concerned about her children’s development or not.

Question 17

17. Jack has been working at a new job part-time while he studies. His shift times for the week are changed at the last minute, without consulting him.
    What action would be the most effective for Jack?
    (a) Refuse to work the new shifts.
    (b) Find out if there is some reasonable explanation for the shift changes.
    (c) Tell the manager in charge of shifts that he is not happy about it.
    (d) Grumpily accept the changes and do the shifts.

Answer 17

Question 17.
Jack has been working at a new job part-time while he studies. His shift times for the week are changed at the last minute, without consulting him.
What action would be the most effective for Jack?
Answers/marks; a,c,d:0 b:1
(a) Refuse to work the new shifts.
This would not be a great action for Jack to take, as it could put him at risk for further issues at work.
(b) Find out if there is some reasonable explanation for the shift changes.
This is the most effective action for Jack to take, as he can then find out whether it was fair for the shifts to be changed that particular week and opens a dialogue for him to communicate if they do not suit his schedule.
(c) Tell the manager in charge of shifts that he is not happy about it.
This would not be the most effective action for Jack to take, as instigating possible confrontation with his manager may not have desirable consequences for Jack.
(d) Grumpily accept the changes and do the shifts.
This is not the best action for Jack to take, as if the shifts really do not suit him, he will then have to figure out how to re allocate his time towards his other commitments.

Question 18

18. Julie hadn’t seen Kelly for ages and had looked forward to their weekend trip away. However, before the trip Julie realises that Kelly has changed a lot and Kelly is no longer an interesting companion.
    What action would be the most effective for Julie?
    (a) Cancel the trip and go home.
    (b) Realize that it is time to give up the friendship and move on.
    (c) Understand that people change, so move on, but remember the good times.
    (d) Concentrate on her other, more rewarding friendships.

Answer 18

Question 18.
Julie hadn’t seen Kelly for ages and had looked forward to their weekend trip away. However, before the trip Julie realises that Kelly has changed a lot and Kelly is no longer an interesting companion.
What action would be the most effective for Julie?
Answers/marks; b,c,d:0 a:1
(a) Cancel the trip and go home.
This, while not the kindest action, would be most effective for Julie as she has already realised that Kelly is not someone she particularly wants to spend this trip with and it is best for her to opt out of it.
(b) Realize that it is time to give up the friendship and move on.
(c) Understand that people change, so move on, but remember the good times.
(d) Concentrate on her other, more rewarding friendships.
The above options are all not entirely effective for the same reason. While they account for how Julie’s relationship with Kelly will change in the future, they do not provide any solution for the present situation which is the planned weekend trip.
Remember, you are not necessarily choosing what you would do, or the nicest thing to do, but choosing the most effective response for that situation.

Question 19

19. Lee’s workmate fails to deliver an important piece of information on time, causing Lee to fall behind schedule as well.
    What action would be the most effective for Lee?
    (a) Work harder to compensate
    (b) Get angry with the workmate.
    (c) Explain the urgency of the situation to the workmate.
    (d) Never rely on that workmate again.

Answer 19

Question 19.
Lee’s workmate fails to deliver an important piece of information on time, causing Lee to fall behind schedule as well.
What action would be the most effective for Lee?
Answers/marks; b,c,d:0 a:1
(a) Work harder to compensate
This is the most effective way for Lee to deal with this situation, as regardless of his workmate’s failure to give him the information he needed, the task still needs to be completed.
(b) Get angry with the workmate.
While Lee is within his rights to be angry with his workmate for putting him behind schedule, it does not help Lee deal with the work he has to do now.
(c) Explain the urgency of the situation to the workmate.
This may not be an effective action as there is no indication that this other workmate would be able to do anything to help Lee in dealing with the situation.
(d) Never rely on that workmate again.
This action is not effective in rectifying the present situation, as it does not help Lee complete the current workload.

Question 20

20. Rhea has left her job to be a full-time mother, which she loves, but she misses the company and companionship of her workmates.
    What action would be the most effective for Rhea?
    (a) Enjoy being a full-time mother.
    (b) Try to see her old workmates socially, inviting them out.
    (c) Join a playgroup or social group of new mothers.
    (d) See if she can find part-time work.

Answer 20

Question 20.
Rhea has left her job to be a full-time mother, which she loves, but she misses the company and companionship of her workmates.
What action would be the most effective for Rhea?
Answers/marks; a,c,d:0 b:1
(a) Enjoy being a full-time mother.
It is already explained that Rhea loves being a full-time mother, so this option does not include any action that is not already being done.
(b) Try to see her old workmates socially, inviting them out.
This would be the best action for Rhea to take in this situation, as she does not have to sacrifice being a full-time mother but can still incorporate her old life and social relationships into her new situation.
(c) Join a playgroup or social group of new mothers.
Because it is specifically stated that Rhea misses her ex-workmates, this would not be the most effective action as it does not include any reconnection with them.
(d) See if she can find part-time work.
Again, it is not mentioned that Rhea particularly wants to work again as she loves her role as a full-time mother and so this would not be the most effective action to take.

Question 21

21. Pete has specific skills that his workmates do not, and he feels that his workload is higher because of it.
    What action would be the most effective for Pete?
    (a) Speak to his boss about this.
    (b) Start looking for a new job.
    (c) Be very proud of his unique skills.

Answer 21

Question 21.
Pete has specific skills that his workmates do not, and he feels that his workload is higher because of it.
What action would be the most effective for Pete?
Answers/marks; b,c,d:0 a:1
(a) Speak to his boss about this.
This is the most effective action for Pete to deal with this issue, as he must talk to someone who has the influence to change
(b) Start looking for a new job.
Relocating to a new job does not guarantee that Pete will not find himself in a similar situation in future, and only avoids dealing with it in his present workplace. Therefore, it is not the most effective way he can deal with this problem.
(c) Be very proud of his unique skills.
This action does not address Pete’s workload at all, and so could not be considered effective.
(d) Speak to his workmates about this.
This would not be the best option for Pete, as his workmates are not suggested to have any input into how heavy his workload in and so cannot do anything to lighten it.

Question 22

22. Mario is showing Milton, a new employee, how the system works. Mario’s boss walks by and announces Mario is wrong about several points, as changes have been made. Mario gets on well with his boss, although they don’t normally have much to do with each other.
    What action would be the most effective for Mario?
    (a) Make a joke to Milton, explaining he didn’t know about the changes.
    (b) Not worry about it, just ignore the interruption.
    (c) Learn the new changes.
    (d) Tell the boss that such criticism was inappropriate.

Answer 22

Question 22.
Mario is showing Milton, a new employee, how the system works. Mario’s boss walks by and announces Mario is wrong about several points, as changes have been made. Mario gets on well with his boss, although they don’t normally have much to do with each other.
What action would be the most effective for Mario?
Answers/marks; b,c,d:0 a:1
(a) Make a joke to Milton, explaining he didn’t know about the changes.
This would be the best way for Mario to be able to acknowledge his boss’s criticism, while still being able to continue showing Milton around.
(b) Not worry about it, just ignore the interruption.
This option may not be entirely effective, as it does not provide any explanation for Milton who is also involved in this situation.
(c) Learn the new changes.
While for future reference this is definitely an effective action for Mario to take, it does not deal with the current situation.
(d) Tell the boss that such criticism was inappropriate.
In these circumstances where Milton is still present, confronting his boss about what he had said would not be the most effective way for Mario to handle the situation.

Question 23

23. Martina is accepted for a highly sought after contract, but has to fly to the location. Martina has a phobia of flying. What action would be the most effective for Martina?
    (a) See a doctor about this.
    (b) Don’t go to the location.
    (c) Just get through it.
    (d) Find alternative travel arrangements.

Answer 23

Question 23.
Martina is accepted for a highly sought after contract, but has to fly to the location. Martina has a phobia of flying.
What action would be the most effective for Martina?
Answers/marks; b,c:0 a:0.5 d:1
(a) See a doctor about this.
While this option may be effective in dealing with Martina’s phobia, there is no indication that it will solve her problem in time for her to keep the contract.
(b) Don’t go to the location.
By taking this action Martina would lose out on this opportunity completely, and thus it cannot be considered effective.
(c) Just get through it.
This option oversimplifies how Martina would have to overcome her phobia and does not provide any concrete ways to do so.
(d) Find alternative travel arrangements.
This would be both the most effective and immediate way for Martina to overcome this obstacle to get to the location for the contract.

Question 24

24. Alan helps Trudy, a peer he works with occasionally, with a difficult task. Trudy complains that Alan’s work isn’t very good, and Alan responds that Trudy should be grateful he is doing her a favour.
    They argue.
    What action would be the most effective for Alan?
    (a) Stop helping Trudy and don’t help her again.
    (b) Try harder to help appropriately.
    (c) Apologize to Trudy.
    (d) Diffuse the argument by asking for advice.

Answer 24

Question 24.
Alan helps Trudy, a peer he works with occasionally, with a difficult task. Trudy complains that Alan’s work isn’t very good, and Alan responds that Trudy should be grateful he is doing her a favour.
They argue.
What action would be the most effective for Alan?
Answers/marks; b,c,d:0 a:1
(a) Stop helping Trudy and don’t help her again.
This would be the most effective action for Alan to take. Regardless of who may or may not be at fault in this situation, they may not work well together and the best way to avoid conflict may be to simply collaborate with other people.
(b) Try harder to help appropriately.
This may not be very effective for Alan, as Trudy could just keep complaining which could result in another argument between the two of them.
(c) Apologize to Trudy.
This action would not be most effective for Alan, as it would suggest to Trudy that how she is treating him in this situation is okay and could encourage her to behave this way again in future.
(d) Diffuse the argument by asking for advice.
This would not be an entirely effective way to go about handling this situation, as there is no indication that Trudy’s advice would be helpful to Alan or that this will prevent Trudy criticising Alan’s help.

Question 25

25. Darla is nervous about presenting her work to a group of seniors who might not understand it, as they don’t know much about her area.
    What action would be the most effective for Darla?
    (a) Be positive and confident, knowing it will go well.
    (b) Just give the presentation.
    (c) Work on her presentation, simplifying the explanations.
    (d) Practice presenting to laypeople such as friends or family.

Answer 25

Question 25.
Darla is nervous about presenting her work to a group of seniors who might not understand it, as they don’t know much about her area.
What action would be the most effective for Darla?
Answers/marks; a,b:0 c:0.5 d:1
(a) Be positive and confident, knowing it will go well.
If Darla has already identified that her audience may not receive her presentation as well as she would like, choosing to just be positive without any action in altering the presentation would not be very effective.
(b) Just give the presentation.
This action would not address Darla’s concerns that the seniors may not understand what she is presenting on and could lead to an unsuccessful presentation.
(c) Work on her presentation, simplifying the explanations.
This is not a completely wrong answer as it does show an attempt on Darla’s behalf to make the presentation more understandable for her audience, however it is not the most effective option as Darla may not be aware of exactly which parts need to be simplified or altered.
(d) Practice presenting to laypeople such as friends or family.
This would be the most effective action for Darla to take, as by presenting it to other people who are not informed about her area, they can highlight the parts that they as laypeople do not understand and she can target them for simplification.

Question 26

26. Helga’s team has been performing very well. They receive poor-quality work from another team that they must incorporate into their own project.
    What action would be the most effective for Helga?
    (a) Don’t worry about it.
    (b) Tell the other team they must re-do their work.
    (c) Tell the project manager about the situation.
    (d) Re-do the other team’s work to get it up to scratch.

Answer 26

Question 26.
Helga’s team has been performing very well. They receive poor-quality work from another team that they must incorporate into their own project.
What action would be the most effective for Helga?
Answers/marks; a,b,d:0 c:1
(a) Don’t worry about it.
This is not a very effective way for Helga to approach the situation, as without any action to deal with the poor-quality work the project could reflect badly on her own team.
(b) Tell the other team they must re-do their work.
This may not be entirely effective as it assumes that the other team are as capable as Helga’s, when they may just perform to a lower standard which is the standard quality of the work they usually produce.
(c) Tell the project manager about the situation.
This would be the most effective action for Helga to take, as the manager can then decide the best action going forward to deal with the lower quality work and any negative outcome will not reflect on Helga’s team’s input.
(d) Re-do the other team’s work to get it up to scratch.
This is not a great option, as if this is meant to be a collaborative project removing or editing the other team’s work to match the standard of their own could still reflect badly on Helga’s team.

Question 27

27. Katerina takes a long time to set the DVD timer. With the family watching, her sister says, “You idiot, you’re doing it all wrong, can’t you work the video?” Katerina is quite close to her sister and family.
    What action would be the most effective for Katerina?
    (a) Ignore her sister and keep at the task.
    (b) Get her sister to help or to do it.
    (c) Tell her sister she is being mean.
    (d) Never work appliances in front of her sister or family again.

Answer 27

Question 27.
Katerina takes a long time to set the DVD timer. With the family watching, her sister says, “You idiot, you’re doing it all wrong, can’t you work the video?” Katerina is quite close to her sister and family.
What action would be the most effective for Katerina?
Answers/marks; a,c,d:0 b:1
(a) Ignore her sister and keep at the task.
If Katerina is unable to operate the timer, continuing to try and do so could further annoy her sister and start another argument.
(b) Get her sister to help or to do it.
This would be the most effective action for Katerina to take. If it irritates her sister so much that she cannot do it, giving her the option to deal with it herself or show Katerina how is the best way to diffuse the situation and actually get the DVD working.
(c) Tell her sister she is being mean.
This action while communicating Katerina’s feelings, does not deal with getting the timer to work which is what annoyed her sister in the first place.
(d) Never work appliances in front of her sister or family again.
Taking this one time she could not operate the DVD timer and her sister’s reaction as an indication that she should never operate any appliances in front of her family or sister again is not the most effective response, as this was a very specific situation.

Question 28

28. Ben’s parents are in their late 80s and living interstate in a house by themselves. He is worried that they need some help, but they angrily deny it any time he brings up the subject.
    What action would be the most effective for Ben?
    (a) Visit frequently and get others to check on them.
    (b) Believe his parents’ claims that they are fine.
    (c) Keep telling his parents his concerns, stressing their importance.
    (d) Force his parents to move into a home.

Answer 28

Question 28.
Ben’s parents are in their late 80s and living interstate in a house by themselves. He is worried that they need some help, but they angrily deny it any time he brings up the subject.
What action would be the most effective for Ben?
Answers/marks; b,c,d:0 a:1
(a) Visit frequently and get others to check on them.
This would be the most effective action for Ben, as it allows him to ensure his parents are safe and taken care of without making them feel like he is constantly bringing up the topic.
(b) Believe his parents’ claims that they are fine.
This would not be very effective for Ben as he is worried for them, and the reasons for this will not disappear by telling himself that they are actually fine.
(c) Keep telling his parents his concerns, stressing their importance.
This action is likely to instigate further arguments with his parents, and so could not be considered effective.
(d) Force his parents to move into a home.
Similarly to (c), this option is more likely to push his parents away and cause argument than it is to resolve the problem.

Question 29

29. Max prides himself on his work being of the highest quality. On a joint project, other people do a lousy job, assuming that Max will fix their mistakes.
    What action would be the most effective for Max?
    (a) Forget about it.
    (b) Confront the others and tell them they must fix their mistakes.
    (c) Tell the project manager about the situation.
    (d) Fix the mistakes.

Answer 29

Question 29.
Max prides himself on his work being of the highest quality. On a joint project, other people do a lousy job, assuming that Max will fix their mistakes.
What action would be the most effective for Max?
Answers/marks; a,d:0 b:1 c:0.5
(a) Forget about it.
This action would not help Max, as people would most likely continue to take advantage of the fact that he will fix their errors in the project.
(b) Confront the others and tell them they must fix their mistakes.
As it is stated that the others did a bad job not due to a lack of ability, but on the assumption Max will do the work they do not want to do, confronting them about this would be the most effective option for Max.
(c) Tell the project manager about the situation.
While this could be effective in improving the situation for Max, as he does have other options on how to deal with it himself, it may not be advisable to immediately report the others without trying to speak to them first. If after attempting option (b) nothing had changed, this would be better as a secondary action.
(d) Fix the mistakes.
This option would suggest to the others involved in the project that Max will always fix their contributions for them, and he would likely find himself in a similar situation again.

Question 30

30. A junior employee making routine adjustments to some of Tod’s equipment accuses Tod of causing the equipment malfunction.
    What action would be the most effective for Tod?
    (a) Reprimand the employee for making such accusations.
    (b) Ignore the accusation, it is not important.
    (c) Explain that malfunctions were not his fault.
    (d) Learn more about using the equipment so that it doesn’t break.

Answer 30

Question 30.
A junior employee making routine adjustments to some of Tod’s equipment accuses Tod of causing the equipment malfunction.
What action would be the most effective for Tod?
Answers/marks; a,b,d:0 c:1
(a) Reprimand the employee for making such accusations.
This action is likely to cause conflict between Tod and the junior employee, and so is not effective in dealing with the scenario.
(b) Ignore the accusation, it is not important.
This avoids taking any action at all, and so could not be considered an effective way to handle things.
(c) Explain that malfunctions were not his fault.
This would be the most effective way for Tod to approach this situation. as the other person involved is a junior employee, it is possible that the accusation came from misunderstanding rather than malice and explaining how the malfunctions happened would be a way to resolve the situation without unnecessary conflict.
(d) Learn more about using the equipment so that it doesn’t break.
This option assumes that it was actually Tod’s fault that the equipment was faulty. We are not given any information to support this, and so it is not the most appropriate answer.

Question 31

31. The woman who relieves Celia at the end of her shift is twenty minutes late without excuse or apology.
    What action would be the most effective for Celia?
    (a) Forget about it unless it happens again.
    (b) Tell the boss about it.
    (c) Ask for an explanation of her lateness.
    (d) Tell her that this is unacceptable.

Answer 31

Question 31.
The woman who relieves Celia at the end of her shift is twenty minutes late without excuse or apology.
What action would be the most effective for Celia?
Answers/marks; a,c,d:0 b:1
(a) Forget about it unless it happens again.
This is not effective for Celia as she has still been inconvenienced during this shift, and this action does not address that. (b) Tell the boss about it.
This would be the most effective action for Celia, as the boss can then make any relevant enquiries and deal with the situation as they see fit to prevent it from happening again.
(c) Ask for an explanation of her lateness.
This would not really help Celia, as even if the other woman eventually explained why she was late, Celia is not in a position to deliver any consequences.
(d) Tell her that this is unacceptable.
This option does not necessarily prevent the woman from doing this again and could cause direct conflict that could have adverse consequences for Celia.

Question 32

32. Jerry has had several short-term jobs in the same industry but is excited about starting a job in a different industry. His father casually remarks that he will probably last six months.
    What action would be the most effective for Jerry?
    (a) Tell his father he is completely wrong.
    (b) Prove him wrong by working hard to succeed at the new job.
    (c) Think of the positives of the new job.
    (d) Ignore his father’s comments.

Answer 32

Question 32.
Jerry has had several short-term jobs in the same industry but is excited about starting a job in a different industry. His father casually remarks that he will probably last six months.
What action would be the most effective for Jerry?
Answers/marks; a,d,c:0 b:1
(a) Tell his father he is completely wrong.
This would not be very effective for Jerry, as his father believes his remarks due to past events and simply saying this is unlikely to change his perspective.
(b) Prove him wrong by working hard to succeed at the new job.
This option would be most effective for Jerry, as his father is unlikely to change his mind without any evidence that the new job will be more permanent than the last.
(c) Think of the positives of the new job.
This action does not really address what has happened in this scenario- potential negatives of the new job were never a factor, and so thinking of positives is not effective in this context.
(d) Ignore his father’s comments.
Completely ignoring these comments is not entirely effective for Jerry, as taking no action does nothing to resolve the situation.