Deck 8: Communicating in Groups and Teams To Achieve Professional Goals

Question 1

Which of the following is not a symptom of groupthink?

A) Not expressing true feelings.
B) Rationalising poor decisions.
C) Sharing stereotypes which guide decision-making.
D) The use of outside experts.
E) Exercising direct pressure on dissenters.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Jessie went to a team meeting and started joking around, throwing paper airplanes, and texting on his phone.What role is Jessie playing in the meeting?

A) Maintenance role
B) Task role
C) Helpless role
D) Self-directed role
E) Hindering role

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following would be best to recommend to a team who wanted to monitor their effectiveness?

A) Use detailed questionnaires or checklists.
B) Set new goals.
C) Conduct a problem-solving workshop.
D) Hold a party.
E) Attend a training seminar.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What defines a win-win approach in resolving conflict?

A) A continued personal focus on winning.
B) Allowing other parties to win at some things so you can win at what is most important.
C) Trying to resolve conflict by giving up what you want.
D) An approach of looking at conflict as an opportunity to find mutual gain.
E) A neutral approach to winning and losing, with no emotional content.

Question 5

Which of the following would be a good example statement of metaphorical thinking for team building?

A) 'There's a mountain the team needs to climb.'
B) 'There's a mountain the team leader needs to climb. '
C) 'Team members need to watch their team leader climb a mountain.'
D) ' The team leader will watch the team members climb a mountain.'
E) ' This team will never reach the summit of performance. '

Question 6

What defines a maintenance role in team-building?

A) Roles that build the team atmosphere and constructive relationships between team members.
B) Roles that make sure the job gets done.
C) Roles that determine sources of difficulties and analyse blocks.
D) Roles that suggest ideas, propose goals and define problems.
E) Roles that undertake all administration and paperwork related to team building activities.

Question 7

What is the role of the chairperson in a meeting?

A) To act as a type of 'bouncer' or security guard.
B) To guide the discussion from problem to solution.
C) To take the minutes.
D) To video-record the proceedings.
E) To both take and circulate the minutes.

Question 8

How does a group become a team?

A) Through a focused spirit and interdependence towards a mutual goal or set of goals.
B) Through a process of giving the group a name.
C) Through sharing common interests.
D) Through a process whereby outsiders see the group as a team.
E) Through the appointment of a team leader.

Question 9

In the workplace, it is advisable for an effective and professional communicator to:

A) recognise that diversity in group membership can result in unproductive conflicts that outweigh any benefits from diversity.
B) recognise that males and females in a group may define and approach issues differently and use this for mutual benefit.
C) recognise that group members from different cultural backgrounds may have conflicting values and personal preferences that can never be managed.
D) seek to play down individual differences in group discussions.
E) regard diversity as a problem to be overcome rather than an opportunity.

Question 10

1.A major approach to developing skills for conflict management has emphasised: seeing conflicts as ________; listening carefully and with ________; stating your own point of view ________; creating a ________ of choices; and recognising the special role of the ________ and the importance of neutrality.

Question 11

For which of the following meetings would it be essential to use formal meeting procedure?

A) Daily team meeting
B) Meeting of company shareholders
C) After work meeting with colleagues at local restaurant
D) Brainstorming session
E) Farewell party for work colleague

Question 12

2.Complete the sentence below by using each of the following words once only to best effect.
authority, business, debate, procedure, record
Formal meetings in the workplace include boards and annual general meetings, where the emphasis is on democratic discussion and ________, adherence to rules and ________, ensuring fair play and a proper ________ of decisions, and where the chairperson has the ________ and confidence of the meeting to conduct the ________ of the meeting in an orderly way.

Question 13

Which of the following is the name of one of Tuckman's phases of team development?

A) Leaning
B) Unrest
C) Methodology
D) Problem-solving
E) Storming

Question 14

Which of the following statements best describes the nature of self-directed teams?

A) Self-directed teams are responsible for part of the process of production or service they provide.
B) Self-directed teams must be able to turn to a leader to implement effective communication.
C) Self-directed teams must be able to report clearly their decisions to a manager for approval.
D) Self-directed teams must be able to make decisions for a wide range of activities, from purchasing materials to recruitment and product development.
E) Self-directed teams must be able to hire and fire the members.

Question 15

A group or team meeting that follows a problem-solving approach could structure its meeting in phases such as:

A) Welcome; work
B) Norming, storming, adjourning
C) Orientation; evaluation; control; and action
D) Forming; norming; storming; mourning
E) Brainstorming, which is a one-phase approach

Question 16

What is an advantage of a formal meeting?

A) There are many complex rules and procedures to follow.
B) People unfamiliar with meeting procedures may not know how to behave.
C) Irrelevant facts and obstruction are allowed.
D) People unfamiliar with meeting procedures may feel intimidated.
E) A decision is made by voting and the vote is recorded.

Question 17

Group norms are social standards of behaviour in groups:

A) that are always implicit.
B) that are always explicit.
C) that may be implicit and/or explicit.
D) that should not be discussed or monitored.
E) that are rarely broken because everyone knows what they are.

Question 18

Communication patterns in groups develop according to:

A) group structure and the status and kinds of members.
B) the task needs of members.
C) the formality of the group atmosphere.
D) the time available for completion of the group task.
E) the effort needed to accomplish the group task.

Question 19

Creative problem-solving techniques have been defined as including:

A) brainstorming, metaphorical thinking and listing.
B) painting and drawing.
C) conceptual mapping, summarising and minuting.
D) evaluation and analysis.
E) goal-setting activities.

Question 20

Which is not an effective criterion for decision-making?

A) Determining applicability
B) Determining practicality
C) Determining risk
D) Determining desirability
E) Determining complete unanimity