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The Career Altitude Assessment

When a problem comes up that isn't clearly "your job," you typically:

*

A

Wait to see if someone else handles it, or escalate immediately

B

Flag it to your manager and wait for direction before acting

C

Make a call, then loop in your manager so they're not surprised

D

Decide, act, and report the outcome — your manager trusts the call before they even hear about it

When two reasonable people on your team disagree about the right approach:

*

A

You avoid taking a side and let it get resolved above you

B

You wait for a manager to make the call

C

You weigh the tradeoffs yourself and make a recommendation

D

You make the decision, communicate the reasoning, and both people leave aligned

In the last 90 days, how many of your wins would your manager be able to name unprompted?

*

A

None — your work mostly speaks for itself, quietly

B

One, maybe, if they thought hard about it

C

Two or three — you've mentioned them in 1-on-1s or updates

D

Several — you proactively communicate outcomes, not just activity

Your manager's manager (skip-level) would describe your contributions as:

*

A

Unfamiliar — they likely couldn't name what you do

B

Vague — they know your name and role, not your impact

C

Somewhat familiar — they've heard your name attached to specific wins

D

Clear — they could describe what you've delivered without prompting

When someone on your team is struggling, you typically:

*

A

Let HR or their manager handle it

B

Offer general encouragement but don't change how you work with them

C

Adjust your approach and check in regularly until it improves

D

Diagnose the specific gap and actively coach them through it

If you were out for a month, your team's output would:

*

A

Drop significantly — most things route through you

B

Slow down on a few things only you handle

C

Continue mostly fine, with a few decisions waiting for your return

D

Continue without major disruption — you've built the team to run without you in the room

Projects you own tend to:

*

A

Stall without regular pushing from you or your manager

B

Move when you're actively driving them day to day

C

Move with light oversight — you've built enough structure that things don't fall through

D

Move on their own — you've built systems and ownership that don't depend on your constant attention

Your meetings and updates are generally:

*

A

Reactive — called when something's wrong or someone asks

B

Regular but mostly status-reporting

C

Structured around decisions, not just updates

D

Run efficiently enough that others model their own meetings on yours

When a project you led falls short, you typically:

*

A

Point to circumstances or other people's contributions

B

Acknowledge it happened but don't dig into why

C

Take ownership and explain what you'd do differently

D

Own it immediately, diagnose the cause, and adjust before being asked

When you commit to a deadline, you:

*

A

Often need to push it without much warning

B

Usually hit it, but it's close

C

Hit it consistently, with buffer

D

Hit it or flag the risk early enough that it's never a surprise

When you explain your work to someone outside your team, you usually describe:

*

A

What you did (tasks, activities)

B

What you finished (deliverables)

C

What changed because of it (a result)

D

Why it mattered to the business (a number, a risk avoided, a goal advanced)

In a room with senior leaders, you typically:

*

A

Stay quiet unless directly asked something

B

Answer questions but rarely volunteer a view

C

Offer a perspective when it's relevant

D

Contribute a point of view that shapes the conversation