Deck 10: Meetings and Facilitation Skills

Question 1

A leader ideally should not switch from one meeting type to another during the course of the same meeting.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Meetings allow for a formal exchange of information to occur.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

One disadvantage of the group-centered approach is that the meeting takes up more time than the leader-controlled approach.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

To ensure consistent delivery of information, the supervisor should avoid holding a meeting and should contact each member individually.

Question 5

Leader-controlled meetings encourage free flow of information.

Question 6

Electronic meetings have become a necessary and valuable communication tool.

Question 7

The group-centered approach results in a better understanding of members' viewpoints.

Question 8

A leader-controlled meeting tends to be more rigid than a group-centered meeting.

Question 9

Only relevant facts about a problem or situation should be sought in a fact finding meeting.

Question 10

Meetings may result in watered-down decisions that simply reflect the average input of the members rather than the ideas of the best members.

Question 11

Meetings interrupt members' work day, may take them away from higher priority tasks and compete with other activities such as deadline-driven tasks, and can add significantly to job stress.

Question 12

It is usually more efficient to communicate with employees on a one-to-one basis than to have a meeting.

Question 13

Proper planning requires the leader to do some up-front work before the meeting actually begins, such as ensuring that key people will be able to attend.

Question 14

A meeting called to announce a new sales program is an example of an information-giving meeting.

Question 15

When calculating the cost of meetings, costs of meeting planning and preparation time, travel time/costs, and follow-up costs should be included.

Question 16

A problem-solving meeting is the least challenging of the meeting types.

Question 17

Meetings do not allow the personal interaction required for many sensitive issues.

Question 18

The group-centered approach is not well suited to large groups.

Question 19

A fact-finding meeting is held to obtain information from group members and allow them to provide information to one another.

Question 20

The information-giving meeting is the most difficult type of meeting to conduct.

Question 21

Consensus does not mean agreement with a decision; it means that there is agreement to accept a decision.

Question 22

An effectively conducted meeting requires no follow-up.

Question 23

Closure means accomplishing the objective for a given item on the agenda.

Question 24

If attendees are late for a meeting, the leader should wait for their arrival to begin the meeting.

Question 25

The key points of a meeting that are distributed subsequent to the meeting, are known as the "seconds" of a meeting.

Question 26

The easiest type of meeting to conduct is the ____.

A) information-giving meeting
B) information-exchange meeting
C) fact-finding meeting
D) problem-solving meeting

Question 27

A key skill of leaders at meetings is the ability to keep the meeting moving.

Question 28

The doctor-patient model involves others in making a joint diagnosis and eventually providing others with the skills and tools to make their own diagnosis.

Question 29

Distributing copies of the meeting agenda in advance is usually not a good idea.

Question 30

Using the process consultation model of facilitation, the client makes the ultimate decision and develops the action plan.

Question 31

Teleconferencing can reduce the expense of bringing people from distant locations to the meeting.

Question 32

Which of the following is an appropriate purpose for calling an information-exchange meeting?

A) To seek out relevant facts about a problem or situation
B) To identify the problem, to discuss alternative solutions, and to decide on the proper action to take
C) To announce new programs and policies or to update present ones
D) To obtain information from group members and to allow them to provide information to one another

Question 33

The leader's most important job at meetings is to encourage openness and communication among members.

Question 34

The most widely used form of consultation is the purchase-of-expertise model.

Question 35

Facilitators require not only experience and knowledge, but also decision-making, problem-solving, communication, motivation, and leadership capabilities.

Question 36

Consensus is easier to reach when there is much member diversity within a group.

Question 37

In order to avoid controlling the meeting, the leader should usually leave his or her expectations vague.

Question 38

A meeting held to make announcements of new programs or policies, or to update the present ones, is a(n) ____ meeting.

A) information-giving
B) information-exchange
C) fact-finding
D) problem-solving

Question 39

Group facilitation is a process of intervening to help a group improve in goal setting, action planning, problem solving, conflict management, and decision making in order to increase the group's effectiveness.

Question 40

_____ software enables high-quality visual presentation.

A) Excel
B) Outlook
C) PowerPoint
D) Word

Question 41

An advantage of group-centered meetings is that:

A) it is well suited to large groups because of its interpersonal nature.
B) it has a fairly rigid structure, making it easier for the leader to control.
C) the free flow of information contributes to a better decision.
D) the meeting takes up lesser time than the leader-controlled approach.

Question 42

An advantage of the leader-controlled approach is that:

A) members have an opportunity to get sensitive and emotional issues out in the open.
B) it results in a better understanding of members' viewpoints.
C) it encourages a free flow of information among members.
D) this approach allows a large amount of material to be covered quickly.

Question 43

A disadvantage of leader-controlled meeting is that:

A) the meeting takes up a great deal more time than group-centered approach.
B) the creativity that results from the "piggybacking" of ideas is stifled.
C) it is not well suited to large groups because of its interpersonal nature.
D) it does not allow a large amount of material to be covered.

Question 44

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A) Meetings always allow the personal interaction required for many sensitive issues.
B) Meetings provide an opportunity for all members present to hear the same message.
C) Meetings may take members away from higher priority tasks.
D) Meetings provide an opportunity for all present to hear the same message.

Question 45

In a(n) ____ the leader does not focus on solutions, but rather on understanding the problem.

A) information-giving meeting
B) information-exchange meeting
C) fact-finding meeting
D) problem-solving meeting

Question 46

The most widely-used form of consultation is the ____.

A) process consultation model
B) doctor-patient model
C) purchase-of-expertise model
D) teleconferencing model

Question 47

The _____ is the consultation model that places a great deal of power in the hands of the consultant who recommends solutions to problems faced by an organization.

A) process evaluation model
B) purchase-of-expertise model
C) doctor-patient model
D) process consultation model

Question 48

Before a meeting, the leader responsible for the meeting should:

A) make sure that key people will be able to attend.
B) get "closure" on key items.
C) distribute minutes to all members.
D) encourage participation among members.

Question 49

A meeting called in an effort to discuss and evaluate alternative solutions, and ultimately to make a decision as to the proper action to take, would be a(n) ____.

A) information-giving meeting
B) information-exchange meeting
C) fact-finding meeting
D) problem-solving meeting

Question 50

In a(n) _____, there tends to be little feedback from group members unless they have questions to ask or points to clarify about the information presented.

A) information-giving meeting
B) information-exchange meeting
C) fact-finding meeting
D) problem-solving meeting

Question 51

In essence, a facilitator becomes a(n) _____ during meetings.

A) scapegoat
B) supervisor
C) employee
D) consultant

Question 52

Which of the following is the meaning of consensus decision making?

A) Successful accomplishment of the objective for a given item on the agenda
B) The acceptance by all members of the decision reached for a given item on the agenda
C) The process of intervening to help a group improve in decision making in order to increase the group's effectiveness
D) A consultation model that involves others in making a joint diagnosis of the problem

Question 53

In a group-centered approach, the leader:

A) facilitates the meeting by keeping it moving.
B) dominates what is happening.
C) allows the group to facilitate its own direction.
D) answers all the questions of the members.

Question 54

Group facilitation is the process of:

A) establishing clear performance standards and comparing actual performance against those standards.
B) intervening to help a group improve in goal setting, action planning, problem solving, conflict management, and decision making to increase the group's effectiveness.
C) successfully accomplishing the objective for a given item on the agenda.
D) consulting experts that involves others in making a joint diagnosis of the problem and eventually provides others with the skills and tools to make their own diagnoses.

Question 55

A disadvantage of the group-centered approach to meeting is that:

A) members have no real opportunity to get sensitive and emotional issues out in the open.
B) it may not result in a better understanding of members' viewpoints.
C) it discourages a free flow of information.
D) this approach is not well suited to large groups because of its interpersonal nature.

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT true of the advantages offered by meetings?

A) Meetings save time.
B) Meetings are always cost effective.
C) Meetings ensure consistency of information.
D) Meetings permit a formal exchange of information.

Question 57

____ provide a permanent written record of what has occurred in a meeting.

A) Drafts
B) Norms
C) Minutes
D) Closures

Question 58

Finding and remedying the causes of project delays is one of the topics included in a(n) _____.

A) group dynamics meeting
B) problem-solving meeting
C) fact-finding meeting
D) information-giving meeting

Question 59

Which of the following should NOT be done prior to a meeting?

A) Make certain that the meeting room and visual aids are adequately prepared.
B) Let people know if they are expected to provide information at the meeting.
C) Send out an agenda.
D) Reach a consensus.

Question 60

Employees interact freely with one another in a(n) ____.

A) information-giving meeting
B) group-centered meeting
C) leader-controlled meeting
D) doctor-patient meeting

Question 61

Ineffective leadership ruins many well-prepared meetings. What are the ways in which the supervisor should prepare to demonstrate leadership?

Question 62

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of meetings.

Question 63

What is group facilitation?

Question 64

____ is a method of gathering people together for a meeting without the cost of physically bringing people from distant locations.

A) Group facilitation
B) Process consultation
C) Teleconferencing
D) Consensus

Question 65

How does the use of technology facilitate meetings?

Question 66

What can be done to make the use of teleconferencing more effective?

Question 67

What is consensus? Why is it difficult?

Question 68

What are some of the things that should be done to pre-plan a meeting effectively and ensure its success?

Question 69

What are the skills needed to be an effective facilitator?

Question 70

List the purposes of meetings and briefly discuss each one.

Question 71

In the ____ facilitation model, the consultant involves others in making a joint diagnosis and eventually provides others with the skills and tools to make their own diagnoses.

A) doctor-patient
B) leader-controlled
C) purchase-of-expertise
D) process-consultation

Question 72

What are the advantages of the group-centered approach?

Question 73

Discuss the role that minutes play in following-up on meetings.

Question 74

Differentiate between the leader-controlled and group-centered approaches to conducting meetings.

Question 75

Briefly explain the process consultation model of facilitation.