Deck 4: Communicating Effectively

Question 1

Why do we communicate?

A) to get information across
B) to influence others
C) to bring people together
D) all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Miki is a new manager. She wants to create a feedback friendly environment in her office. She should do all of the following except:

A) set clear,measurable performance standards
B) set a tone of openness
C) give feedback no more than twice each year
D) catch people doing something right

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is the best way to end a feedback session?

A) "I am available to help you.
What can I do to help you succeed?"
B) "I'm sorry to have to cut this meeting short,but I have to pick up my suits at the cleaners."
C) "If you repeat this performance you will be fired."
D) "Why did I ever hire you?"

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Active listening requires _____.

A) intelligence
B) empathy
C) creativity
D) locus of control

Question 5

Research on 360 ^$\circ$ feedback shows that _____.

A) the best performers rate themselves highest
B) the best performers rate themselves more similarly to their other raters
C) the best performers don't need feedback
D) the best performers resist formal feedback

Question 6

When receiving negative feedback,an employee should do all of the following except _____.

A) thank the person who is giving the feedback
B) not be defensive about the feedback that is received
C) ask the person giving the feedback to clarify what they mean if you need more information to be sure you understand their feedback clearly
D) take the opportunity to list complaints about the organizational leadership

Question 7

The most commonly used form of multi-rater feedback is _____.

A) groupthink
B) teamtalk feedback
C) multi-media messaging
D) 360 ^$\circ$ feedback

Question 8

To listen with empathy,a manager should _____.

A) express his/her own feelings when they arise
B) relate what he/she hears to his/her own experience
C) pay attention only to the content of what the other person is saying
D) suspend his/her thoughts,such as counterarguments while the person is speaking (Applied,Difficult)

Question 9

Which of the following actions will help create a feedback-friendly environment?

A) Have ambiguous,flexible performance standards.
B) Give feedback only during annual or semiannual performance reviews so that people know when to expect feedback.
C) Find opportunities to give positive feedback.
D) Make it clear to employees that their feedback to management is not desired.

Question 10

When asking for feedback,you should _____.

A) request general feedback
B) defend your behavior when the feedback is negative
C) ask questions to make sure you understand the feedback
D) all of the above

Question 11

The process of listening to understand another person's point of view without evaluating or judging the other person or his/her views is called _____.

A) primary communicative response
B) secondary communicative response
C) active listening
D) cross-cultural communication

Question 12

Managers communicate to _____.

A) obtain timely information
B) build relationships
C) develop support for their ideas
D) all of the above

Question 13

An example of effective feedback is _____

A) "The customer service department's turnover has increased since you took over the managerial job.
What do you think you're doing wrong?"
B) "As the figures here show,six months ago the customer service department was among those with the lowest turnover in our division.
Over the last six months,the customer service department has developed the highest turnover in the division and is above the industry norm as well.
What do you think is going on?"
C) "Why don't your employees respect you?"
D) "I noticed that your department turnover has increased,customer satisfaction has decreased,you're over budget,and you're always late for meetings.
I think it's time you went to a leadership training course.
Which one do you want to attend?"

Question 14

When giving feedback,when is it not a good time to give it?

A) Immediately after the event the feedback is about
B) After the direct report has asked for it
C) When the direct report is upset and hence emotionally open to the feedback
D) When the subordinate is ready to hear it

Question 15

The rules for active listening include all but one of the following. Which one?

A) listen with intensity
B) listen with empathy
C) take responsibility for completeness
D) state your own perspective first

Question 16

Daisuke wants to establish an environment in which his employees feel free to seek out feedback. To do so,he should do all of the following except _____.

A) eliminate goals and performance standards
B) give ongoing feedback
C) find opportunities to give positive feedback
D) set a tone of openness

Question 17

According to Swiss psychiatrist Paul Tournier,one of the most important needs human beings have is _____.

A) the need to have pleasant conversations
B) the need to be listened to
C) the need for intra-communicative alignment
D) the need to extra-communicative alignment

Question 18

Active listening _____.

A) decreases our defensiveness
B) increases our understanding
C) increases the information we have
D) all of the above

Question 19

When giving feedback,the manager should avoid doing all but one of the following. Which one?

A) Focus on the direct report's personality
B) Be general rather than specific
C) Be evaluative
D) Check that the receiver has understood the feedback as intended

Question 20

Who can give useful feedback?

A) bosses
B) peers
C) direct reports
D) all of the above

Question 21

Research has found that feedback recipients who receive higher feedback ratings in their 360 feedback tend to _________.

A) receive more favorable annual reviews from their bosses
B) are rated as having higher overall performance
C) inspire higher employee satisfaction and customer loyalty
D) all of the above

Question 22

If you want to tell a powerful story,you _____.

A) need to move listeners at an emotional level
B) can discount the feelings of listeners
C) need to include lots of details
D) should let people guess what the main point is

Question 23

Maria just received her 360 feedback,and has spent a few hours looking over the areas in which she received high ratings and the areas in which she received low ratings. She is more likely to improve her behaviors based on this feedback if she _________.

A) feels positive about the feedback process
B) is high in feedback-orientation
C) has a sense of personal control
D) all of the above

Question 24

Anjali has many responsibilities at home and at work. She often switches between using e-mail,instant messaging,and text messaging - often doing so while she's on a conference call with her colleagues. Researchers refer to this practice of having multiple conversations simultaneously through different communication technologies as ________.

A) Technical-communicating
B) multicommunicating
C) exhaustive-communicating
D) none of the above

Question 25

Checklists can enhance performance because _____.

A) mistakes are almost inevitable in today's complex world
B) they help us remember important (yet often not excited)
Things we need to do
C) they help us ensure consistency and help us avoid blind spots that we may otherwise overlook
D) all of the above

Question 26

If I am in a culture that is described as one in which the primary purpose of communication is to build relationships,I am likely to be in _____.

A) a neutral context culture
B) a low context culture
C) a high context culture
D) a high cultural context

Question 27

Physician Peter Pronovost conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of checklists for reducing infections and mortality in hospitals due to infections when intravenous lines were inserted into patients. He found that _____.

A) infections increased because checklists are too simplistic for improving patient care
B) using checklists didn't make any difference in patient survival rates
C) hospitals that used these checklists reduced patient deaths and saved the hospitals money
D) none of the above

Question 28

To avoid being overly influenced by a good story that may not have the facts to support it,you should do all of the following except ______________.

A) make judgments about whether a person is creative and dependable within a few seconds of meeting that person
B) ask for data to support the idea
C) ask if the person can show completed projects that illustrate a track record in following through with ideas
D) ask the person what kinds of failures and hurdles they have faced in the past and what they learned from the experiences

Question 29

Thiru's story about his excellent experience with the customer service department in one company just went viral. Which of the following statements would not explain why his story went viral?

A) The story appealed to people's emotions.
B) People who listened to the story believed it was helpful to them.
C) Both a and b
D) None of the above

Question 30

High context communication involves _____.

A) messages that are carried in large part through nonverbal signals and situational cues (such as status)
B) depersonalized conflicts
C) relationships that start and end quickly
D) direct communication

Question 31

The most powerful stories share all of the following characteristics except _____.

A) they are complex
B) they are inclusive
C) they are concrete
D) they affect people emotionally

Question 32

Speeches of charismatic leaders contained more references to _____.

A) collective history
B) the leader's value
C) the differences between leaders and followers
D) all of the above.

Question 33

What is a common reason that direct reports are reluctant to give their bosses bad news?

A) They are trying to protect the boss.
B) They hope the problem will correct itself.
C) They think they can solve the problems themselves.
D) All of the above are common reasons that direct reports are reluctant to give their bosses bad news.

Question 34

Which of the following is the least gender-inclusive statement?

A) "Let's get the best person for the job."
B) "Employees should check their e-mail daily."
C) "Let's get some salesmen in this company who really know the product."
D) "Let's invite the men and women from the mailroom to lunch today."

Question 35

Low context communication involves _____.

A) messages that are carried primarily through words rather than nonverbal signals and situational cues
B) personalized conflicts
C) relationships that build slowly and are built on trust
D) indirect communication

Question 36

It is especially important for leaders to create meaning that inspires effective action _____.

A) in times of transition
B) when employees first enter an organization
C) during crises
D) all of the above

Question 37

Stories work because _____.

A) they touch us at an emotional level
B) they help us to simplify a complex world
C) they help us to see through the eyes of others
D) all of the above

Question 38

Graham was just promoted to a managerial position. In order to build a reputation as someone who can be trusted with bad news,he should do all of the following except _____.

A) surround himself with independent minds
B) surround himself with gatekeepers
C) be discreet when people provide him with sensitive information
D) yell "heads are gonna roll" when he hears bad news

Question 39

The "curse of knowledge" refers to ______.

A) a tendency to use complex language when explaining a topic in one's area of expertise to people outside one's area of expertise
B) a tendency to use simple language to explain complex topics
C) not having an education that emphasizes critical thinking
D) having an education that emphasizes critical thinking

Question 40

_____ involves using stories to explain an organization's vision,so that employees can make sense of it.

A) Relationship building
B) Meaning making
C) Direction giving
D) Uncertainty reducing

Question 41

When sending emails across cultures,we should _____.

A) err on the side of formality
B) err on the side of informality to create intimacy quickly
C) write lengthy e-mails to ensure understanding
D) none of the above

Question 42

Research shows that a manager's communication style is related to employee stress levels.

Question 43

According to the textbook,managerial communication that motivates falls into three categories: direction-giving and uncertainty-reducing,relationship-building,and meaning-making.

Question 44

We signal and perpetuate our assumptions about status and power through our ways of communicating in our families,communities,and workplaces.

Question 45

When receiving feedback,it's useful for you to summarize what you believe the speaker said to make sure that you understand.

Question 46

"Every employee should update his benefit selections before the end of the year," is an example of gender inclusive language.

Question 47

In managing e-mail,organizations should _____.

A) be clear about what e-mail should and should not be used for
B) let employees know if the organization may be inspecting e-mails
C) make employees aware of the laws related to privacy and electronic communications
D) all of the above

Question 48

Low-context communication refers to communication styles in which the primary purpose is to build relationships.

Question 49

According to research about international charismatic leaders,people who refer to short-term goals in their speeches are more likely to be inspirational than people who refer to long-term goals.

Question 50

To create a feedback-friendly work environment you should set clear,measurable performance standards.

Question 51

Feedback is most effective when it is evaluative rather than descriptive.

Question 52

Active listening refers to listening to understand another's point of view quickly and efficiently.

Question 53

According to Ashford and Northcraft,you should sometimes avoid asking for feedback,at least for a while,when you are trying a new or risky task that requires persistence.

Question 54

When managing voicemail,it is important to do all of the following except _____.

A) check messages when you are out of the office
B) listen to your own greeting and to hear how others hear it
C) use voice mail to avoid human interaction
D) return calls promptly

Question 55

People who use abstract,concept-based rhetoric are more likely to be inspirational than people who evoke pictures,sounds,and other senses.

Question 56

According to the Society of Human Resource Managers,360 ^$\circ$ feedback is almost always used for line employees and first level supervisors.

Question 57

Research suggests that when advertisers use male nouns and pronouns in employment advertisements,women are less likely to apply for stereotypically male jobs (e.g.,"The director of engineering should have 10 years of work experience behind him.")

Question 58

High-context communication refers to communication styles in which the conflicts are experienced as personal and face-saving is important.

Question 59

Feedback is most effective when it's specific rather than general.

Question 60

To use e-mail professionally,we should _____.

A) assume all e-mail is as public as a postcard
B) when unsure,choose to be more informal
C) use acronyms so that emails remain brief
D) assume emoticons mean the same thing across cultures

Question 61

The "curse of knowledge" refers to the tendency for people to translate complex language from their field of expertise into simpler language that people from outside their field of expertise can easily understand.

Question 62

Explain how language reflects and perpetuates status and power differences in organizatio ns ,including gender differences .

Question 63

E-mail tends to be most effective for discussing sensitive topics.

Question 64

Multicommunicating refers to communicating during hours beyond typical work hours.

Question 65

Describe at least four techniques for active listening.

Question 66

According to the research cited in this textbook,people are notoriously poor at remembering facts and statistics.

Question 67

When e-mailing people from another culture who you don't know well,it is wise to use a little humor to speed up relationship-building.