What describes management by exception?

• A. The leader monitors work and intervenes only when issues occur
• B. The leader micromanages every task to ensure perfection
• C. The leader abdicates decision-making to the team in all circumstances
• D. The leader focuses exclusively on long-term strategy with no monitoring

Answer: (A)

Management by exception means you set performance standards, monitor actual results, and only step in when performance deviates from those standards. This approach lets the team operate with autonomy within defined boundaries, while the leader focuses on handling only the significant variances that threaten achieving targets. For example, if quality or delivery stays within acceptable limits, no intervention is needed; if defect rates rise above the threshold, the manager investigates and resolves the issue. This contrasts with constantly directing every task (micromanagement), fully ceding control (abdication), or ignoring monitoring altogether and focusing only on strategy.