Question 1

Barb's team has to write a report recommending three healthcare plans to offer the company's employees next year. At the planning meeting, each person is assigned responsibilities. Which of the following team members is not carrying a fair share of the group's work?

Accepted Answer

Amy's task of sending out reminders and taking attendance is less demanding compared to the research, drafting, and editing tasks assigned to other team members.

Question 2

What impact does it have on long-term virtual teams when they meet in person?

Accepted Answer

Meeting in person allows team members to establish a deeper level of trust, which can improve communication, collaboration, and overall team performance. They can also build rapport more easily, which can lead to better relationships and more effective teamwork. The other options are typically not the case when virtual teams meet in person.

Question 3

Hector and his team work for an educational publisher. The team has to write a report comparing the textbooks of three competitors. Who would be the best person to analyze the books' methods of teaching?

Accepted Answer

Lin, who has four years of experience as an educator, would be the best person to analyze the books' methods of teaching. Having experience in teaching, Lin would be able to critically evaluate the textbooks and understand which teaching methods would be effective for students.

Question 4

Team leader Sean always follows through after meetings by asking all the participants how they are doing with their assigned action items. What effect is this likely to have on the other team members?

Accepted Answer

By following up on everyone's action items after the meeting, Sean is showing that he values the decisions made during the meeting and wants to ensure that everyone is accountable for their tasks. This is likely to make the other team members feel that their work is important and that they are part of a productive team.

Question 5

Which stage of team development do virtual teams sometimes skip?

Accepted Answer

Virtual teams sometimes skip the storming stage because they may not have the opportunity to experience face-to-face conflict or build interpersonal relationships in the same way as traditional teams, which can delay the formation of the storming stage.

Question 6

David has just been appointed leader of a new virtual team. He senses that the team members have doubts about each other's competence. What can he do to alleviate this situation?

Accepted Answer

By scheduling a time when people can share their professional accomplishments, David can help build trust and confidence among team members. This will also help them understand and appreciate each other's strengths, which can help alleviate doubts about competence.

Question 7

What do professionals identify as the number one challenge of working in virtual teams?

Accepted Answer

Not having face-to-face interaction with team members can make building relationships more difficult and time-consuming in virtual teams. This lack of connection and trust can lead to communication barriers, misunderstandings, and ultimately, a decrease in productivity.

Question 8

What is a virtual watercooler?

Accepted Answer

A virtual watercooler is a social media space where virtual team members can interact spontaneously and engage in non-work-related conversations to build relationships and foster a sense of community.

Question 9

What should the leader do just before closing a meeting?

Accepted Answer

Before ending the meeting,the leader should summarize what was accomplished.In just a few minutes,the leader can recap action items the team has agreed on and make sure the roles and assignments are clear for each action item.

Question 10

After Karla's team completed the first draft of its group document, the team asked her to edit it carefully for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. At the next meeting, the group decided one section of the document was not relevant and deleted it. Karla was upset about her wasted work. What did the team do wrong?

Accepted Answer

The team failed to establish a clear purpose for each round of revision, leading to unnecessary work being done by Karla on a section that was later deemed irrelevant.

Question 11

Janet's team is working on a group document, which they store in an FTP system on the company server. On Friday, Claire and Malik download the document at the same time, and each makes edits. Malik uploads his document first. When Claire uploads her copy of the document, she erases all of Malik's work. What went wrong?

Accepted Answer

The issue that occurred was that Claire overwrote Malik's work, which suggests that there was no system in place for version control. If a system for version control had existed, Claire would have been able to see that Malik had already made changes to the document and avoided overwriting them.

Question 12

Jamila is concerned that her virtual teammates are misinterpreting each other's statements because they cannot see facial expressions and gestures. Which of the following possible solutions should Jamila suggest to her team leader?

Accepted Answer

Using video during virtual meetings helps to provide nonverbal cues and facial expressions which can help reduce misinterpretation and enhance communication among virtual team members.

Question 13

Which of the following practices helps to increase buy-in from virtual meeting participants?

Accepted Answer

In real-time virtual meetings,you can take minutes in real time so that meeting participants can comment on and correct information during the meeting.This often leads to more accurate recollections of the meeting,more buy-in from team members,and a higher likelihood that action items get accomplished.

Question 14

Which of the following is a reason that organizations use virtual teams?

Accepted Answer

One of the main reasons organizations use virtual teams is to save money on office space and travel expenses. Virtual teams allow employees to work remotely, reducing the need for physical office space and expensive business travel.

Question 15

Difficult conversations can be handled successfully by

Accepted Answer

Difficult conversations involve different perspectives and opinions. By actively listening and hearing everybody's story, you can gain a better understanding of their views and needs. This can help to create a more productive dialogue and find a mutually agreeable solution. Aggressively/agreeing or invalidating others' perspectives will only lead to further conflict and hinder progress. Using an either/or approach and a judgmental stance can limit options and create a sense of defensiveness.

Question 16

A learning stance implies that

Accepted Answer

A learning stance implies that you are committed to understanding other peoples' versions of interpersonal interactions. It means being open-minded, curious, and willing to learn from different perspectives. It does not involve finding contradictions or blindly agreeing with everything that the speaker says, nor does it involve avoiding difficult conversations.

Question 17

When editing a group document, what should be the first thing the team works on?

Accepted Answer

Before focusing on the smaller details like transitions, word choice, and grammar/mechanics, it's important to ensure that the main ideas of the document are strong and clear. This will provide a solid foundation for the rest of the editing process.

Question 18

Which action is most likely to help build trust in a virtual team?

Accepted Answer

Being proactively engaged shows a willingness to contribute and participate in the team's goals and objectives, which can help build trust among team members. Multitasking during meetings can be seen as disrespectful and may lead to misunderstandings. Avoiding social conversation can make it difficult to establish personal connections and may hinder trust in the team. Working independently may lead to a lack of collaboration and communication, which can further erode trust. Relying mostly on email to communicate can be efficient, but it may also be impersonal and lead to miscommunications.

Question 19

Hector and his team work for an educational publisher. The team has to write a report comparing the textbooks of three competitors. Who would be the best person to polish the final version of their report so it has a consistent voice?

Accepted Answer

George, with five years of experience as an editor, would be the best person to polish the final version of the report and ensure consistency in voice and style. While the other team members have relevant experience, they may not necessarily be the best fit for this specific task.

Question 20

Lana's team has been given a group writing assignment. The deadline is two months away. When should the group start working on the project?

Accepted Answer

It is always best to start working on a project as soon as possible to allow for unforeseen circumstances or revisions. Waiting until a few weeks before the deadline may not leave enough time for proper planning, research, and collaboration among group members. Starting right away gives the group ample time to complete the project without rushing or compromising quality.

Quiz 3: Team Communication and Difficult Conversations