Deck 10: Group Leadership and Problem Solving

Question 1

Phil is a participant in a meeting.During the meeting,he believes an idea is not being fully explored,and he says,"I think we need to consider this point more.What about …" and offers another perspective.Phil is _______.

A)playing devil's advocate
B)being ineffective
C)performing an supportive role
D)monitoring his contributions

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A person following the recommendations in the text for gaining leadership _______.

A)will undoubtedly become a leader
B)rarely exist in any given group
C)will usually give up the position of leader to a less qualified individual
D)is more likely to gain influence

Answer 2

D

Question 3

After a meeting,a member should _______.

A)evaluate the effectiveness of each group member and communicate this to them
B)review the minutes from the meeting and report any significant discrepancies
C)review the decisions group members made and ask them to justify their choices
D)none of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The set of roles that are taken up by group members to provide logistical support,keep the group focused,and record the group's accomplishments are known as _______.

A)task roles
B)maintenance roles
C)procedural roles
D)shared roles

Question 5

The person in a group who says,"Grant,you've made some excellent contributions.Let's see whether others have any reflections on what you've said" is behaving as _______.

A)an encourager
B)an analyzer
C)a harmonizer
D)a gatekeeper

Question 6

In his group,Kevin tends to share his thoughts,offer new perspectives,and develop innovative new ideas.Kevin is best described as _______.

A)an information and opinion seeker
B)a leader
C)an information and opinion analyzer
D)an information and opinion giver

Question 7

_______ will arise as-needed to help the group meet challenges it faces.

A)A formal leader
B)An informal emergent leader
C)Maintenance roles
D)Support roles

Question 8

Phyllis emails her group to let them know she found the "perfect space" for their next meeting.She is acting as the _______.

A)logistics coordinator
B)expediter
C)gatekeeper
D)recorder

Question 9

Which of the following statements about maintenance roles is accurate?

A)They are less important than task roles.
B)They should be assigned by the leader.
C)They help foster collaboration,solve conflict,and integrate fun into groups.
D)They are less prevalent in work groups than other kinds of groups.

Question 10

The person in a group who says,"Dianne,that was a really good point you made" is behaving as _______.

A)a supporter
B)an analyzer
C)a harmonizer
D)a gatekeeper

Question 11

The primary function of leadership is to _______.

A)make sure you get what you want out of a group
B)exert influence on a group to achieve a goal
C)make decisions for those who are unable or unwilling
D)be the "face" of a group

Question 12

When someone maintains neutrality in order to keep discussion focused on issues and not personalities,this person is acting as a _______.

A)supporter
B)harmonizer
C)mediator
D)tension reliever

Question 13

Before a meeting,a group leader should do all of the following except _______.

A)inform members if they are excused from attending the meeting
B)make physical or technology arrangements
C)list specific outcomes that should be produced from the meeting
D)send out a detailed agenda that includes the date,time,location,and topics to be discussed at the meeting

Question 14

The person in a group who says,"We need to consider how this information affects the outcome,so can you explain it a little more?" is behaving as _______.

A)a supporter
B)an analyzer
C)a harmonizer
D)a gatekeeper

Question 15

Group members may reach a stagnant point or be uncomfortable about sharing their ideas and opinions.The task members who usually probe these people to prevent these problems are _______.

A)analyzers
B)information givers
C)information seekers
D)supporter

Question 16

A good rule of thumb for the leader is to monitor roles within the group _______.

A)periodically to fill gaps and improve performance
B)only when a member seems dissatisfied or ignored
C)once,at the end of the discussion to make new assignments
D)about every 15 minutes

Question 17

Someone who notices when a group is becoming stressed out either with one another or with the task at hand and finds a way to mend communication or lighten the mood is a(n)_______.

A)interpreter
B)mediator
C)supporter
D)tension reliever

Question 18

Preparing for a meeting _______.

A)is only important if you are a group leader
B)means you should ignore anything that is not on the agenda
C)involves not only studying the agenda and the minutes from the previous meeting,but also bringing materials that have not yet been covered that might help accomplish the agenda
D)means convincing everyone ahead of time to be at the meeting,because if they aren't there to vote,their opinion doesn't count

Question 19

A group member who keeps meetings moving to fit a given time-frame is acting as a _______.

A)logistics coordinator
B)expediter
C)gatekeeper
D)recorder

Question 20

What should a participant do after a meeting?

A)review her effectiveness
B)read over her notes
C)communicate progress on action items
D)all of the above

Question 21

Diverse opinions within a group make it impossible to problem solve.

Question 22

Statements such as "We've spoken on this topic for ten minutes.We have five more minutes to discuss it before we have to move on to the next agenda item" are made to _______.

A)monitor conflicts
B)periodically check to see if the group is ready to make a decision
C)stay on schedule
D)implement the group's decision rules

Question 23

Before starting a major section of a project,Aja types up a one-page report that summarizes the issue,major information about it,her group's plan,and their rationale for doing what they plan to do.She prints the document and gives it to her boss.This document is called _______.

A)a symposium
B)an oral brief
C)a written brief
D)a remote access report

Question 24

Statements such as "I think most of us are stating the same points.Are we really in agreement that ..." are made to _______.

A)monitor conflicts
B)periodically check to see if the group is ready to make a decision
C)verify the agenda
D)control group thinking

Question 25

_______ is a product of your work that is provided to someone else.

A)A role
B)A deliverable
C)A group norm
D)An agenda item

Question 26

Which of the following is a criteria that can be used to determine whether an individual's participation and role behavior was effective?

A)The group member voiced strong opinions frequently.
B)The group member was on time.
C)The group member was dressed appropriately.
D)The group member listened actively to the opinions of others.

Question 27

Effective groups periodically stop and evaluate how their interactions are affecting what they are accomplishing.

Question 28

A written brief is an uncritical,non-evaluative process used to generate possible solutions by being creative,suspending judgment,and combining or adapting ideas.

Question 29

Informal leaders do not have legitimate power.

Question 30

After a meeting,a group leader should _______.

A)evaluate the effectiveness of each group member and communicate this to them
B)wait until the note-taker has distributed the minutes to everyone before discussing the meeting outcomes
C)review the decisions group members made and ask them to justify their choices
D)follow up with group members to see how they are progressing on items assigned to them

Question 31

_______ is a structured problem-solving discussion held by a group in front of an audience.

A)A panel discussion
B)A symposium
C)An oral brief
D)An oral report

Question 32

The only person who needs to prepare for a meeting is the group leader.(p.238)

Question 33

Harmonizers intervene in group discussions when they perceive that conflict may harm group cohesiveness or individual relationships.

Question 34

Which of the following is a criteria that can be used to determine whether a group decision was a good one?

A)Was the decision easy to make?
B)Were leaders able to influence?
C)Did the leader dominate the discussion?
D)Was the leader prepared for all meetings?

Question 35

In summarizing,the leader should _______.

A)delay conclusions
B)reiterate accomplishments and task assignments
C)not seek consensus on a conclusion,as this is the job of the group
D)not conclude,even when he or she feels enough has been said

Question 36

Statements such as "I've heard five comments in favor of this proposal and three against.Are we ready to take a vote?" are made to _______.

A)monitor conflicts
B)implement the group's decision rules
C)verify the agenda
D)stay on schedule

Question 37

A question asked to determine or judge whether something is right,moral,good,or just is a question of _______.

A)fact
B)policy
C)value
D)choice

Question 38

Kwan creates a 16-slide PowerPoint presentation with bullet points and graphs that illustrates his group's progress.He posts it on a webpage that all project members and managers can access.Kwan's document is called _______.

A)a symposium
B)an oral brief
C)a written brief
D)a remote access report

Question 39

Which method of group decision making is best suited for a highly technical decision?

A)expert opinion method
B)majority rule method
C)unanimous decision method
D)consensus method

Question 40

Those who provide content for discussion are called information or opinion givers.

Question 41

You are the leader of a service group,and you need to have a meeting to discuss the last service project and choose a new service project.Describe how you will prepare for the meeting,noting at least three things your book says leaders should do to prepare for a meeting.

Question 42

A sorority house's roof needs repaired,and the sorority members must find a way to fix it.Identify each of the problem-solving steps your book lists and suggest an example of something the sorority members could do in each step to solve this problem.

Question 43

What role do you find yourself performing most often in groups? Why do you perform this role so often? What do you offer your groups when you perform this role? What does performing this role keep you from being able to do in the groups of which you are a member?

Question 44

Describe the five shared leadership responsibilities as they are outlined in the text.Why is it important that everyone take part in the leadership of the group? Have you been in a group where someone refused to take responsibility for their part of leading the group? What happened?