Team Leader Test Questions

Ten Questions to Test your Readiness to be a team leader.

Disclaimer: This is not based on fact, this is based on personal experience (as a WS leader)…

1. When your superior assigns you a new workstream, do you reply
(a) yes sir
(b) we can deliver within a week (even though no details are known)
(c) organize a workshop and assemble a high-level analysis
(d) delegate to someone random in your viscinity

2. When a workstream needs planning, do you
(a) first setup a high level plan with target milestones set
(b) ensure that developers are flooded with emails about ensuring milestones are kept
(c) first make sure you understand what’s going on
(d) delegate to someone random in your viscinity

3. If a milestone starts slipping do you
(a) panic
(b) escalate downwards
(c) gather your developers, assess the situation, work out the alternatives and escalate upwards
(d) ask people at random for a full report with phrases like “why did this happen”

4. If a milestone will fail because of bugs and incomplete functionality, do you
(a) ignore it
(b) destill the problem to the bare minimum, so that nobody knows anymore what’s going on and the milestone is upheld
(c) let it fail, take the hit, reorganize, fix the problem and make sure processes are improved.
(d) ask people at random for a full report with phrases like “dissapointing”

5. When dependent systems raise last minute requirements which were not agreed at first, do you
(a) tell them to go to hell and push onward
(b) cave in, say “oh, ok”, and put pressure on the team to absorb and deliver, ensuring milestones are upheld.
(c) assess the situation, accept if possible, but escalate and say “no” if it’s a problem.
(d) delegate to someone random in your viscinity

6. The main purpose of a workstream leader is
(a) to create Gantt Charts
(b) be some kind of invisible conduit with minimal flow resistance
(c) drink Cappucino
(d) bug people

7. Which of the following characteristics should a workstream leader NOT have
(a) thick skin
(b) intelligent
(c) addicted to coffee+beer+fries with an aversion to exercise
(d) analytical

8. Which species most closely resembles a workstream leader
(a) Snake
(b) Urang Utan
(c) Homo Erectus
(d) Worm

9. What is the most common word a workstream leader will use
(a) shit
(b) fuck
(c) huh?
(d) supercalafragalisticexpialadotiuous

10. A workstream leader is
(a) overwhelmed by the passage of time
(b) underpaid
(c) a leader of good men
(d) usually drunk

Hint: the answer is in all cases (c)