What Predicts Success Skill Management.docx

WHAT PREDICTS SUCCESS? Skill Management MULTIPLE CHOICE According to the textbook’s author, successful managers tend to have _____. higher IQ’s bigger budgets higher status educations none of the above (Recall, Moderate) The Center for Creative Leadership estimates that about _______ of managers never reach their full potential. 90% 75% 50% (Recall, Difficult) 25% The tendency for managers to fail to reach their full potential is called _____. shortchanging de-optimization derailment (Recall, Easy) lack of competence “Derailment” is a term used to describe a manager who _____. declines a promotion changes jobs, by his/her own choosing quits an organization is fired, demoted, or plateaued below anticipated levels of achievement (Recall, Moderate) A manager who becomes “plateaued” in an organization can be called _____. downsized obsolete empowered derailed (Recall, Easy) In his studies of the link between IQ (how one scores on standardized intelligence tests) and success on the job, researcher Robert Sternberg concluded that IQ predicts _____% of job success. between 75 and 85 between 60 and 75 between 55 and 65 between 4 and 25 (Recall, Difficult) Researchers have found that creating an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment can make a _____ point difference in children’s IQ scores. 3-5 12-18 (Recall, difficult) 22-28 32-35 When Lois Frankel speaks of people who are unable to “overcome their strengths,” she is referring to _____. people who are involved in lifelong learning people who are focused on the skills and routines that brought them success in the past, to the exclusion of developing new skills (Recall, Moderate) people who are aware of the need to build new strengths people who recognize that different situations can call for different sets of skills Which of the following statements is most true about derailed executives? Their greatest strengths may be their greatest weaknesses. (Recall, Difficult) Their personality characteristics have nothing to do with their derailment. Their greatest strength is flexibility. They tend to derail due to office politics that they cannot control. Carol Dweck and her colleagues studied beliefs about intelligence. She found that people are most likely to be successful when they believe that intelligence _____. is innate can change over time (Recall, Moderate) is stable over time none of the above Which of the following statements is most true about people who believe intelligence is fluid? They are more likely to achieve higher performance in school and at work (recall, moderate) They are less likely to achieve higher performance in school and at work. They are more likely to have an “interdependent” construal of the self. They are more likely to have an “independent” construal of the self. Research suggests that it takes approximately _________ to become an expert in an area: 2 years 4 years 7 years 10 years (Recall, Easy) Based on the research described in this chapter, which of the following is not central to the development of expertise? depending on natural talent (Recall, Moderate) mindful, deliberate practice feedback breaking large goals into small and specific techniques Based on the information in this chapter, the following are characteristics that predict success: conscientiousness, proactivity, self-awareness, maximizing conscientiousness, proving goal orientation, proactivity, social skills conscientiousness, proactivity, self-awareness, social skills (Recall, Difficult) None of the above is correct Optimal challenges are those that __________. divert cognitive resources from learning are consistent with a deliberate goal orientation help people expand their abilities and learn from failure (Recall, Moderate) help people expand their abilities while avoiding failure People with a characteristic called “conscientiousness” are most likely to be successful when they also have a characteristic called _____. critical monitoring attribution oriented self-anchoring agreeableness (Recall, Difficult) A characteristic that describes how “hard-working, thorough, efficient, reliable, and ambitious you are” is _____. conscientiousness (Recall, Easy) creative intelligence practical intelligence proactive personality Conscientiousness includes the following characteristics: achievement-orientation, goal-directed, dependable, hardworking, and planful (Recall, Difficult) achievement-orientation, goal-directed, hardworking, planful, and emotional intelligence achievement-orientation, goal-directed, dependable, hardworking, and agreeable achievement-orientation, goal directed, dependable, social skills, and risk-taking According to researcher Jennifer Chatman, people who have this personality characteristic are more likely to achieve higher salaries and promotions. cognitive stability technical proficiency conscientiousness (Recall, Easy) a devoted mentor in their first jobs People who are more likely to take actions to influence their environments are called _____. ambiguity enhancers cognitive enhancers cognitively intelligent proactive ( Recall, Moderate) Which of the following statements is least likely to measure whether you have a proactive personality? “I excel at identifying opportunities.” “I am always looking for a better way to do things.” “If I see something I don’t like, I fix it.” “I like to work with people from other cultures.” (Applied, Moderate) Which statement is most true: People with proactive personalities are more likely to _____. score well on tests of intelligence, such as the GMAT work well with other people be empathetic take actions to influence their environments (Applied, Easy) As a manager, a person with a proactive personality is more likely to _____. take a passive role be reactive to situations that arise adapt to circumstances, rather than try to change them take actions to fix situations that they feel are not working well (Applied, Easy) People who are constantly on the lookout for new ways to improve their lives are probably _____. proactive (Recall, Easy) analytic expressive cognitively intelligent empathetic Which of the following characteristics is most likely to predict success? a performance goal orientation an avoidance goal orientation a learning goal orientation (Recall, Moderate) a social goal orientation Raul knows that the types of assignments he is on at work will influence his success. Raul is most likely to be successful if he _____. focuses on setting difficult goals that will improve his skills in new areas even at the risk of failure sometimes (Applied, Moderate) focuses on selecting goals that are a stretch but that he is sure he will succeed at focuses on how others think of his progress toward meeting his goals focuses on making sure he doesn’t fail People think that Jonisha has always been “lucky” because she seems to sense when it is time for her to make a change and move on to a different job. But, it’s not just luck. Instead, Jonisha is most likely to have _____. practical intelligence (Applied, Easy) analytical intelligence emotional intelligence cognitive intelligence Psychologist Robert Sternberg argues that _____. cognitive intelligence is the most important predictor of job success in addition to cognitive intelligence, individuals need creative and practical intelligence to become successful (Recall, Moderate) people need practical intelligence, but not cognitive or creative intelligence, to be successful people need creative intelligence, but not cognitive or practical intelligence, to be successful Practical intelligence is based primarily on: analytical awareness technical proficiency tacit knowledge (Recall, Easy) education Managers who invest in self-awareness _____. are more likely to see themselves as others see them (Recall, Moderate) do not have biases are less likely to need to seek out information from others None of the above The “fundamental attribution bias” refers to _________ attributing one’s behavior to one’s religious upbringing underestimating the influence that personality has on individual behavior overestimating the influence that personality has on individual behavior (Recall, Easy) overemphasizing others’ view of the situation over your own In the “Good Samaritan Study”, the following significantly influenced whether or not the seminarians in the study were likely to help a person in need. feelings of hurry (Recall, Moderate) years of experience in the seminary program how well they did in a recent class on moral decision-making all of the above The context that people are in _______? plays an insignificant role in influencing their behavior plays a significant role in influencing their behavior (Recall, Easy) is related to their behavior primarily if they are from an interdependent culture is related to their behavior primarily if they are from an independent culture People with social skills: are able to get more resources than others are able to get more information from others are able to get more support from others all of the above (Recall, Easy) Executives sometimes use “the waiter rule” to determine _____. whether the job candidate has appropriate dinner manners how a job candidate is likely to treat people in general (Recall, Moderate) what a job candidate has learned from early experiences as a waiter or other jobs whether the job candidate knows how to manage the bill, including tips, at the end of the meal Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to do all but one of the following. understand and manage one’s own emotions read the emotions of others manage the ups and downs of everyday life focus on the objective facts and not let emotions influence decisions (Recall, Moderate) Positive emotions _____. help us think more creatively help us think more broadly help us behave more flexibly all of the above (Recall, Easy) Chris Bellavita and Paolo Soriso cope well overall. They are able to maintain composure under stress and recover from failure quickly. Like most executives who are “hardy” and cope well, they are likely to have the following: a belief that the challenges they face are worthy challenges, a commitment to something that they believe is meaningful in their lives, and a willingness to take control of situations by proactively making decisions and taking actions that are likely to influence outcomes (Applied, Difficult) more years of work experience, more years of education, and a belief that the challenges he faces are worthy challenges a history of recent successes that helps him rise above challenges, a mentor who is dedicated to his success, and the ability to minimize interpersonal conflict until the challenging period is over none of the above is correct People with a characteristic called “hardiness” ______. use “tough love” to motivate themselves and others focus on the “hard facts” rather than biased information maintain their composure when under stress (Recall, Moderate) have a particularly difficult time rebounding from failure All of the following are ways to help let go of past behaviors that no longer serve you well except _____. learning new skills that are likely to lead to future success assessing your own strengths and weaknesses obtaining feedback on your progress underlearning new behaviors (Recall, Moderate) Managers who rely on traits and expertise that brought them success in the past are more likely to get into trouble when _____. the current environment has changed they work for a new organization they get a promotion with new responsibilities all of the above (Applied, Moderate) The inability to think and act beyond established routines is called _____. antelechetic resistance cognitive rigidity (Recall, Moderate) “dropping one’s tools” unlearning Why don’t we “drop our tools,” even when we should? We see other people keeping their tools. We may get our identities from our tools. We believe that dropping our tools might be admitting failure. All of the above (Recall, Easy) The failure of many managers (and management educators) to integrate the Internet into their work is an example of _____. unlearning failing to “drop their tools” (Applied, Moderate) cognitive flexibility proactive personality In studying situations where people are exposed to new circumstances, organizational researcher Karl Weick has concluded that _____. thinking and acting in established routines can contribute to many poor decisions (Recall, Moderate) it is best to rely on tried and true ways of reacting past experience is the best guide for present and future action crisis situations are best handled by managers Which of the following is a reason why we don’t “drop our tools”? We don’t trust the person who tells us to change. (Recall, Difficult) We see everyone else “dropping their tools.” We are given clear reasons to change. We believe that “dropping our tools” will make a big difference. TRUE/FALSE Cognitive intelligence predicts about 60% of a person’s success at work. True False (Recall, Easy) Derailment occurs when a high-potential manager chooses to change jobs, decline promotions, or quit their jobs to pursue other careers. True False (Applied, Difficult) People who believe that intelligence is fluid are less likely to be successful. True False (Recall, Moderate) Shadi wants to be an excellent math professor. She just began her job as an assistant professor. According to Ericsson and colleagues, it will take her approximately 10 years of experience before she is likely to become an expert math professor. True (Applied, Easy) False Ongoing feedback on performance is one of the most important contributors to the development of expertise. True (Recall, Easy) False People who are conscientious tend to have a characteristic called “agreeableness”. True False (Recall, Moderate) People who are proactive tend to adapt to circumstances rather than anticipate situations and try to influence them. True False (Recall, Easy) Hank prefers to take on assignments in which he can show how well he can do his job and prove his existing talents to others. Leah prefers to take on assignments that stretch her skills, but also increase the possibility that she may not perform as well all the time. Consequently, Hank is more likely to be successful because he is wisely taking on assignments that prove his abilities and help him maintain the appearance of success. True False (Applied, Moderate) People with practical intelligence tend to perform better on tests of analytic ability. True False (Applied, Easy) The fundamental attribution error refers to the belief that one’s behavior is primarily influenced by context. True False (Recall, Moderate) Social capital refers to the amount of money organizations spend on hiring human resources. True False (Recall, Easy) Julia is a team leader. She begins her team meetings acknowledging the successes the team has had in the past month. She sometimes brings the team members’ favorite candy to the meetings. By doing so, she increases the positive atmosphere in the group. As a consequence, employees are less likely to think broadly and creativity. True False (Applied, Moderate) Executives who have a characteristic called “hardiness” have a sense of meaning that buffers them from becoming alienated in response to organizational stresses. True (Recall, Easy) False Researcher Karl Weick studied two events in which professional fire fighters died during two different fires (one forest fire in 1949 and the other forest fire in 1993). Weick concluded that cognitive rigidity was one reason that the professional forest fighters died. True (Recall, Moderate) False ESSAY QUESTIONS Describe at least 5 characteristics beyond cognitive intelligence that predict managerial and professional success, and explain why these characteristics are important. (Recall, Difficult) Believing intelligence and personality are fluid rather than fixed predicts success because people who believe that intelligence and personality are fixed are more likely to put the effort into changing their abilities. For example, they may take courses in the areas that they are not doing well in, study harder, get mentors, ask for help, practice the skills they don’t have more often. Developing an expertise that matters to others is important because experts are able to see situations within their area of expertise in more complex and accurate ways than do nonexperts. They are better able to select appropriate strategies, respond faster, and adjust their actions more quickly when situations change. In addition, experts are more likely to notice their own errors (rather than ignore or deny them). Rather than see failure as a weakness, experts tend to see failure as a normal part of the learning process. Being conscientiousness predicts success because people who are conscientious are achievement-oriented, goal-directed, dependable, hardworking, self-disciplined, planful, organized, and persistent. People who are conscientious are committed to fulfilling their responsibilities to the best of their abilities and do not need constant supervision to stay motivated. Being proactive predicts success because people who are proactive have a “can do” attitude that helps them succeed in good and bad times. They see opportunities that others don’t see, believe in possibilities that others may not believe are possible, anticipate the future, create plans to shape the future, and take actions to turn these plans into reality. Having a “learning goal orientation” predicts success because people who have a learning goal orientation take on jobs (or take classes) that stretch their skills. This means that they may not always succeed at the task, but they are more likely to have the challenges they need to develop valuable new skills throughout their careers. Using creative and practical intelligence predict success because these characteristics allow people to leverage their cognitive intelligence in ways that allow them to apply what they know in new and creative ways and to apply it in ways that others find useful and compelling. Researcher Robert Sternberg and colleagues explain that people with practical intelligence (also known as tacit knowledge – or “street smarts” rather than “book smarts”) tend to know what to say to whom, when to say it, and how to say it for maximum effect. Developing self awareness predicts success because it enables people to understand their styles, strengths, weaknesses and how they’re perceived by others. It also helps them understand which context brings out the best in them, and which bring out the worst in them. Having social skills predicts success because people who proactive build and manage relationships with their bosses, peers, direct reports, customers, supplier, etc., have more social capital – the resources they give and get through their social networks. People who develop high-quality relationships are better able to get information and resources from others, manage conflict, influence others, motivate others, leverage diversity, get support, brig out the best in teams, span organizational boundaries, and coordinate fluidly with others. Managing emotions predicts success because people who are aware of their own emotions and who can read others’ emotions are better able to make sense of situations, select appropriate strategies in response, and successful respond to the ups and downs of everyday life. Managing emotions refers to emotional intelligence, feeling and expressing positive emotions, and hardiness. Explain what derailment is, and why it occurs. ( Recall, Moderate) Derailment refers to the plateauing, firing, or demotion of high-potential managers who expect to advance in an organization, initially are judged to have the ability to do so, and yet who do not achieve at their anticipated levels. Derailing occurs because (1) managers overemphasize their analytical or technical skills and fail to develop other characteristics that help them succeed; (2) they rely too much on skills that brought them initial success; even when the situation changes and these skills are now insufficient and/or (3) flaws and blind spots that were insignificant early in their careers become more important later on.