Discussion Questions
1. How could assessment be used to create a productive work team?
Answer: Assessment can be used with work teams to identify the strengths and weaknesses
2. List and explain the characteristics of effective 360-degree feedback systems.
Answer: The system must provide reliable or consistent ratings and competencies, raters’
3. Why do companies develop formal mentoring programs? What are the potential benefits for
the mentor? For the protégé?
Answer: One major advantage of formalized mentoring programs is that they ensure access
Both mentors and protégés can benefit from a mentoring relationship. Research suggests that
mentors provide career and psychosocial support to their protégés. Career support includes
coaching, protection, sponsorship, and providing challenging assignments, exposure, and
4. Your boss is interested in hiring a consultant to help identify potential managers among
current employees of a fast-food restaurant. The manager’s job is to help wait on customers
and prepare food during busy times, oversee all aspects of restaurant operations (including
scheduling, maintenance, on-the-job training, and food purchase), and motivate employees to
provide high-quality service. The manager is also responsible for resolving disputes between
employees. The position involves working under stress and coordinating several activities at
one time. She asks you to outline the type of assessment program that you believe would do
the best job of identifing employees who will be successful managers. What will you tell her?
Answer: The ideal management assessment program for this type of position would rely
heavily on role-plays and leaderless group discussions, in which the potential manager’s
5. Many employees are unwilling to relocate geographically because they like their current
community and their spouses and children prefer not to move. Yet employees need to
develop new skills, strengthen skill weaknesses, and be exposed to new aspects of the
business to prepare for management positions. How could an employee’s current job be
changed to develop management skills without having to relocate them?
Answer: The employee would need an enlargement of their job experiences, so it would be
Job rotation gives employees a series of job assignments in various functional areas of the
company or movement among jobs in a single functional area or department. Job rotation
6. What is coaching? Is there only one type of coaching? Explain.
Answer: Coaching is working with employees to motivate them. There are many ways to
7. Why are many managers reluctant to coach their employees?
Answer: First, managers may be reluctant to discuss performance issues because they want to
avoid confrontation. Second, managers may be better able to identify problems than to solve
8. Why should companies be interested in helping employees plan their development? What
benefits can companies gain? What are the risks?
Answer: It helps retain valuable managers who might otherwise leave to join clients or
competitors. It is also important to emphasize that development is important for all
9. What are the manager’s roles in a development system? Which role do you think is most
difficult for the typical manager? Which is the easiest role? List the reasons why managers
might resist involvement in career management.
Answer: Student answers will vary. The role of the manager includes:
Providing assessment information to identify strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values.
Today’s careers are known as protean careers, which are based on self-direction, with the
The goal of the new career is psychological success: the feeling of pride and accomplishment
that comes from achieving life goals that are not limited to achievements at work (such as
Traditional career patterns consisted of a series of steps arranged in a linear hierarchy, with
higher steps related to increased authority, responsibility, and compensation. The new career
The most appropriate view of today’s careers are that they are “boundaryless and often
10. What should be included in a development plan? What do you think is the most important
part of the plan for ensuring that employees develop? Explain your choice.
Answer: Student Answers will vary. Development plans usually include descriptions of
11. Should a company identify and formally acknowledge its high-potential managers or should
it be kept secret? Should managers know they are considered high-potential managers?
Explain your positions.
Answer: Student answers will vary. One advantage to making a succession planning list
public or telling employees who are on the list is that they are more likely to stay with the
company because they understand they likely will have new career opportunities. Another is
that high-potential employees who are not interested in other positions can communicate
12. Nationwide Financial, a 5,000-employee life insurance company based in Columbus, Ohio,
uses the nine-box grid for its succession review. What type of development plans and
activities would you recommend for solid but not outstanding performers with moderate
leadership potential? How would these plans differ from employees with high potential and
high performance (stars)? Explain.
Answer: Employees in the middle of the grid, core employees, are solid but not outstanding
performers who have moderate potential. Development plans for these employees will
High-potential employees—with high performance are found in the top-right corner of the
13. Explain the four steps in on-boarding. What should new hires learn at each step? How might
social media or the Internet aid the on-boarding process?
Answer: Effective onboarding involves the four steps. Effective onboarding includes
The steps in onboarding are:
Compliance-Understand basic legal and policy or company related rules and regulations
Onboarding programs involve face-to-face and online activities to enhance the effectiveness