Deck 18: Working and Writing in Teams

Question 1

Teamwork is crucial to success in any organization.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Good teamwork is not only crucial in the workplace, it guarantees success.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Interpersonal skills like listening and dealing with conflict can make you more successful in the workplace.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Teams often have difficulty when they explicitly adopt ground rules, as rules place restrictions on people and their creativity.

Question 5

Starting and ending on time is one possible ground rule for a group.

Question 6

Setting ground rules, while helpful, rarely results in positive experiences for group members because they feel their freedom is restricted.

Question 7

Informational messages focus on method and process.

Question 8

In formalization, the group seeks consensus.

Question 9

Positive roles and actions in groups build loyalty.

Question 10

To encourage participation with a group, check for feelings.

Question 11

Relieving tensions can include joking.

Question 12

Research suggests that successful and less successful groups communicate differently in three ways.

Question 13

Kimberly Freeman found that the students who spent the least time with meeting with their groups had the highest grades.

Question 14

Conflicts arise in any group of intelligent people who care about the task at hand.

Question 15

Conflict often arises out of a group member feeling that he or she is not being respected or appreciated by the group.

Question 16

Ignoring a conflict is usually the best strategy.

Question 17

When we are criticized, our natural reaction is to defend ourselves.

Question 18

Most writers find that composing alone is faster than composing in a group.

Question 19

Relieving tension can include clowning.

Question 20

Criticizing ideas may be necessary to if a group is to produce the best solution.

Question 21

The most effective groups do not actually have a leader.

Question 22

Rebecca Burnett found that student groups produce better documents when they disagree over substantive issues of content and document design.

Question 23

In many cases, being a group leader means having to do the work yourself.

Question 24

Groups without conflict are always more efficient and successful than groups with conflict.

Question 25

To repair bad feelings, ask yourself, "If this were solved, would I be satisfied?"

Question 26

Collaborative writing is rarely done by more than two people, as writing a document with that many people is difficult enough.

Question 27

Co-authored documents are often more successful if disagreements among the authors are addressed.

Question 28

Research suggests the best collaborative writing is done by people who are flexible and willing to negotiate conflict creatively.

Question 29

When co-authoring a document, you should be aware that people generally have the same way of experiencing reality and expressing themselves.

Question 30

During formalization, conflicts almost always arise when the group chooses a leader and defines the problem.

Question 31

Clowning is entirely permissible, so long as it leads to productive work.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a stage in the life of a task group?

A) Formation.
B) Orientation.
C) Formalization.
D) Coordination.
E) All of the above are stages.

Question 33

Your group has been meeting for several weeks now and will meet next to choose a leader. What stage in the group's development is it entering?

A) Orientation.
B) Formation.
C) Coordination.
D) Formalization.
E) Normalization.

Question 34

Your group has been meeting for several months now and will meet next to seek consensus. What stage in the group's development is it entering?

A) Orientation.
B) Formation.
C) Coordination.
D) Formalization.
E) Normalization.

Question 35

Groups that never express conflict may be experiencing

A) Group consensus.
B) Group cohesion.
C) Group thought.
D) Groupthink.
E) None of the above.

Question 36

You need to present a problem to a team for it to solve. What kind of meeting should you call?

A) Informational.
B) Procedural.
C) Interpersonal.
D) All of the above.
E) Only A and B

Question 37

You've assembled a team of diverse individuals from throughout your organization. The team is charged with finding ways to make their departments work more efficient with others. Though early in the group process, members occasionally disagreed on issues, you've noticed that lately there is little discussion and universal agreement. This is

A) A good sign that the group's members are learning to work together.
B) A good sign that the group's members have found a solution that is likely best for the project.
C) A bad sign that the group's members may be losing interest in the project.
D) A bad sign that the group's members may be giving in to groupthink.
E) None of the above.

Question 38

Buying time is a useful strategy when you

A) Have too much work to do.
B) Cannot think of anything to say.
C) Want to avoid escalating a conflict but do not agree with the other person.
D) Know that the presenting problem is not the real problem but do not know what the real problem is.
E) Forgot what you were going to say.

Question 39

Which of the following situations is LEAST likely to lead to collaborative writing?

A) The task must be done but is comparatively unimportant.
B) The time is too short for one person to do all the work.
C) No one person has all the knowledge required to do that task.
D) A group representing different perspectives must reach a consensus.
E) Both C and D

Question 40

During which phase in the life of a task group is the leader chosen?

A) Formation.
B) Orientation.
C) Formalization.
D) Coordination.
E) None of the above.

Question 41

In which phase in the life of a task group is a consensus sought?

A) Formation.
B) Orientation.
C) Formalization.
D) Coordination.
E) None of the above.

Question 42

Positive roles that help the group achieve its task goals include

A) Seeking information and opinions.
B) Giving information and opinions.
C) Critiquing the group for better processes.
D) All of the above.
E) Only A and B

Question 43

You are leading a group task force at work. Which of the following is NOT a good practice as a leader?

A) Scheduling frequent meetings.
B) Dealing with conflict directly within the group.
C) Insisting that everyone know what they are responsible for and when each task is due.
D) Letting a sub-group make decisions and then inform other members of that decision.
E) All of the above are good practices.

Question 44

List and explain the three kinds of group messages in the workplace.

Question 45

List four constructive ways to respond to criticism and get closer to the real concern of the critic.

Question 46

List the two purposes of buying time with limited agreement when responding to criticism.

Question 47

_________ _________ set the agenda, make sure the everyone knows what's due for the next meeting, communicate with absent group members, and check to be sure that assignments are carried out.