Q1
You’ve been asked to organise a team and assign roles and responsibilities. Do you:
A: Let everyone choose what they want to do – you don’t know them well enough to decide.
B: Think carefully about where each person’s skills can best be used – including your own.
C: Make sure you keep the easy bits for yourself – there are lots of jobs you don’t enjoy.
Q2
You’re disappointed with your result in an exam. Do you:
A: Know you need to work harder for the next one – but you can worry about that later.
B: Stay positive and put plans in place now so that you’ll definitely do better next time.
C: Feel like giving up. What’s the point in trying so hard when you never seem to do well?
Q3
You’ve made a mistake and been pulled up on it by your manager. What do you do?
A: You feel it’s unfair, but there’s no point in saying anything – you’ll have a good moan to your colleagues later.
B: Take a deep breath, apologise, and calmly explain what went wrong and why.
C: Vigorously defend yourself. You’re not the only one who got something wrong – you can name at least two other people who deserve to be reprimanded.
Q4
A colleague has confided in you that they feel overwhelmed by what’s expected of them. How do you react?
A: Suggest they might be better off talking to someone more senior.
B: Take the time to listen carefully and show that you understand their concerns.
C: It’s not really your problem. You’ve got your own workload to worry about.
Q5
Two of your team members seem to be struggling to get along. What do you do?
A: You haven’t really noticed – but don’t worry, it will probably blow over.
B: Have a quiet word with each of them independently to see if there’s anything you can do to help.
C: Put them in a room together and tell them to sort it out – it’s affecting everyone.
Q6
There’s a potentially serious situation at work. Are you:
A: Keeping your head down – let someone more qualified sort it out.
B: Staying calm and volunteering to help. There’s bound to be a solution if you all work together.
C: Panicking! No one has any idea what to do.
How did you do?
Mostly As: You’re showing some emotional intelligence, but there’s always room for improvement. Discover the 5 elements that define an emotionally intelligent person.
Mostly Bs: Well done – you’re obviously already an emotionally intelligent person.
Mostly Cs: Oh dear, it seems like your people skills could do with a bit of work. Why not have a look at what Emotional Intelligence is all about and how you can develop yours?