Question 1

The basic principles of team communication all depend on a strong speaking-centered approach.

Accepted Answer

The basic principles of team communication rely on active listening, effective questioning, clear and concise messaging, and nonverbal communication in addition to speaking.

Question 2

During group writing projects, it is important not to waste time discussing roles and contributions.

Accepted Answer

Discussing roles and contributions can ensure that everyone is clear on their responsibilities and can prevent confusion and conflicts down the line. It is important to establish expectations and goals for each member of the group to ensure the project's success.

Question 3

In the current business environment, virtual teams rely primarily on phone calls, teleconferences, and email to communicate with one another.

Accepted Answer

Virtual teams now primarily use a variety of digital communication tools, including video conferencing platforms like Zoom, collaboration tools like Slack, and project management software, in addition to traditional methods like phone calls and emails.

Question 4

An absence of conflict during conversations might imply that employees are not voicing their true perspectives.

Accepted Answer

An absence of conflict during conversations could indicate that employees are either complacent or not comfortable sharing their true perspectives, which may lead to unresolved issues and misunderstandings.

Question 5

The most important stage of group writing is the drafting stage.

Accepted Answer

For all strong writing,planning is the most important stage.It is the stage where you carefully think about audiences and their needs,develop compelling ideas that are well-reasoned,and think about how to frame your message for the most impact.Planning is even more important for group writing.Generally,you should spend a significant amount of time together before delegating independent work.When team members work independently during the planning stage,they often waste time and energy working with different purposes,goals,and expectations.

Question 6

When developing an agenda to address high-priority items, items of least importance must be placed near the beginning of the agenda.

Accepted Answer

When developing an agenda to address high-priority items, items of least importance must be placed near the end of the agenda. This allows for the most important items to be discussed and addressed first.

Question 7

For brevity, the minutes of a meeting should include only the main decisions that were reached.

Accepted Answer

Minutes of a meeting should include the date and time,team members present,decisions,key discussion points,open issues,and action items and related deadlines.The minutes serve as a record of what a team has accomplished.

Question 8

One of the unique challenges of working in virtual teams is the inability to gain information by reading nonverbal cues.

Accepted Answer

In virtual teams, it is difficult to read nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice, which can impact communication and team dynamics.

Question 9

Because virtual teams have a more difficult time building relationships than traditional teams, experts recommend starting each virtual meeting with social chat.

Accepted Answer

Starting a virtual meeting with social chat can help build relationships and improve communication among team members who may not have the opportunity to interact face-to-face.

Question 10

High-performing teams go through repeated cycles of disassociation and association.

Accepted Answer

High-performing teams often need to disassociate from each other in order to focus on individual tasks or responsibilities, but then come back together and associate in order to collaborate and achieve shared goals. This cycle of disassociation and association is a normal part of a team's functioning and can lead to increased productivity and success.

Question 11

Research has shown that teams that have less dissent during meetings reach higher-quality decisions.

Accepted Answer

Research has actually shown the opposite - teams that encourage healthy debate and dissent during meetings tend to reach higher-quality decisions. This is because diverse perspectives and constructive disagreements can bring forth creative solutions and reveal flaws in ideas.

Question 12

Sally attends a meeting that focuses on brainstorming how to solve a particular problem. The agenda is fluid, and the team adjusts the time it spends on various tasks as needed. This is an example of a coordination meeting.

Accepted Answer

Coordination meetings primarily focus on discussing roles,goals,and accountabilities.Coordination meetings typically include many agenda items with a reasonable expectation of accomplishing each item in the allocated time.What Sally attended was a problem-solving meeting,which typically involves more fluid issues that are less easily classified as discrete agenda items and less easily given time allotments.

Question 13

In emotionally charged, high-stakes conversations, forcefully stating your message at the beginning will often lead to productive outcomes.

Accepted Answer

Forcefully stating your message at the beginning can often escalate the situation and make the other person defensive or more emotionally charged. It is usually more effective to begin by creating a safe space for both parties to share their thoughts and feelings, and to actively listen to the other person's perspective before stating your own.

Question 14

One significant advantage of virtual meetings is that team members can multitask during them.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. While it is possible for team members to multitask during virtual meetings, it is not considered an advantage as it can lead to decreased engagement and productivity. The focus should be on creating a collaborative and engaging virtual meeting environment.

Question 15

Melva perceives that Jonathan, the meeting facilitator, seems to favor one position over others. As a result, Melva may be reluctant to share her opinions.

Accepted Answer

Melva's perception that the facilitator favors one position over others may create a perception of bias that could cause her to hold back on sharing her thoughts or ideas.

Question 16

When team members experience conflict because they are trying to make sense of competing ideas about how the team should work, they are in the storming stage of team development.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. During the storming stage of team development, team members may experience conflict as they try to figure out how to work together and navigate different ideas and perspectives.

Question 17

When producing group writing, it is important to ensure that the writing reflects the views of the group at every stage-gathering information, drafting initial findings, and editing the final document.

Accepted Answer

It is important that group writing is a collaborative effort and that all members of the group have the opportunity to share their views and ideas. The final document should reflect the consensus of the group, not just the views of one or a few individuals.

Question 18

High self-awareness is crucial for handling difficult conversations successfully.

Accepted Answer

High self-awareness allows individuals to regulate their emotions, communicate effectively, and understand the perspectives of others, which are all important skills for handling difficult conversations. Without self-awareness, individuals may react negatively, make assumptions, and fail to fully understand the situation, leading to ineffective or damaging conversations.

Question 19

Effective teams spend about half their time bonding by talking about social activities.

Accepted Answer

Teams should focus first and foremost on performance.Sixty to seventy percent of all comments made in high-performing groups directly relate to work.

Question 20

In best-case scenarios, work teams usually take six to seven weeks to achieve maximum performance.

Accepted Answer

In best-case scenarios, work teams can achieve maximum performance in a shorter time frame, often within a few weeks, depending on factors like team dynamics and prior experience.

Quiz 3: Team Communication and Difficult Conversations