Question 1

Your boss has informed you that you will be the team leader and has asked you to design a motivational package that will reward and recognize individuals within the team. Is this a good idea?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your boss has informed you that you...

Question 2

Focusing on productive expressions of individuality, recognizing team achievement, and fostering consensus-building are needed. You are at what stage of team development?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Focusing on productive expressions of individuality, recognizing...

Question 3

In team meetings, Wong has a habit of either straying from the topic under discussion or trying to change the topic of discussion. Wong is displaying the blocking role of deflecting.

Accepted Answer

Wong's behavior aligns with the blocking role of deflecting, as he is disrupting the discussion by attempting to divert attention away from the original topic.

Question 4

Two key skills associated with team membership are playing advantageous roles and providing helpful feedback to build relationships with other team members.

Accepted Answer

Playing advantageous roles involves contributing to the team's success by utilizing individual strengths and skills, while providing helpful feedback builds trust, communication, and collaboration among team members. Both skills are crucial for effective team membership.

Question 5

Teams can (1) take too long to make a decision, (2) compromise on excellence in order to get agreement from everyone, and (3) demonstrate groupthink, which improves decisions made by the team. Which statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Groupthink typically leads to poorer decision-making outcomes, not improvements, because it suppresses dissent and critical analysis.

Question 6

You have just returned from a seminar on teams. Your employees perform routine, highly structured work (painting the eyes on Barbie dolls). Is this situation well suited for teams?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You have just returned from a seminar...

Question 7

This is your first meeting with your team. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Making introductions to ensure everyone knows one another is the best first step when meeting with a new team. This allows team members to feel comfortable with each other, establish a rapport, and set the foundation for effective communication and collaboration. Once introductions have been made, the focus can shift to task-facilitating roles, relationship-building roles, and articulating the future for the team. Challenging other team members' points of view should be done with respect and after establishing a foundation of trust and open communication.

Question 8

You want to ensure that your team is effective. Which behaviors should you practice? (1) Change members regularly in order to keep the team revitalized, (2) maintain close supervision in order to avoid the negative effects of autonomy, and (3) foster independence of team members.

Accepted Answer

The answer of You want to ensure that your team...

Question 9

Your best friend in another department remarks that the team members in her group are very self-conscious. Also, she indicates that she has yet to speak up in the meetings. What stage is her group most likely at?

Accepted Answer

In the forming stage, team members are still getting to know each other and may feel self-conscious. It is also common for individuals to hold back or not speak up in meetings during this stage.

Question 10

Some cultures, such as Japan, are more comfortable spending substantial amounts of time on relationship-building activities before moving toward task accomplishment.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. In Japan, building relationships and trust is often seen as more important than completing tasks quickly. This can involve spending time getting to know colleagues, engaging in social activities outside of work, and exchanging gifts and favors.

Question 11

Providing negative feedback is easier if one focuses the feedback on behavior related to a specific situation.

Accepted Answer

Focusing on specific behavior related to a specific situation allows for more clarity and objectivity in giving negative feedback. It also helps the receiver to understand the areas they need to improve on and make necessary changes.

Question 12

Research indicates that, in many cultures, team composition has more influence on team effectiveness than does the leadership skills displayed by a team leader.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research indicates that, in many cultures, team...

Question 13

You find yourself asking the following questions: What is expected of me? Who is going to lead?
What is supposed to happen?
You are at what stage of team development?

Accepted Answer

During the forming stage of team development, members are still getting to know each other and establishing their roles and expectations for the team. It is common for questions about leadership and expectations to arise during this stage.

Question 14

Relationships must be formed and trust established. Clarity of direction is needed. Your team is at what stage?

Accepted Answer

The team is in the forming stage, where relationships must be formed and trust needs to be established.

Question 15

Juan, one of your teammates, comments, "Can we all at least agree on point number 1, even if we disagree on the other three points?
" Juan's comment most closely relates to the task-facilitating role of reality testing.

Accepted Answer

Juan's comment is more aligned with seeking agreement or consensus among team members, which is characteristic of a harmonizing or consensus-building role, rather than the task-facilitating role of reality testing, which involves checking the feasibility or practicality of ideas or proposals.

Question 16

The team is working to capitalize on their core competencies, foster innovation and continuous improvement, as well as encouraging positive deviance. You are at what stage of team development?

Accepted Answer

The team is exhibiting characteristics of the performing stage of development. They are focusing on maximizing their strengths, promoting innovation, and striving for continuous improvement, which are all hallmarks of this stage. The other stages (forming, norming, and storming) are focused on establishing the team and resolving issues related to roles, norms, and interpersonal dynamics.

Question 17

Managers should be providing supportive feedback and facilitating participation and empowerment at what stage of team development?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Managers should be providing supportive feedback and...

Question 18

Your manager comments, "Although it is nice to have some team members play relationship-building roles, these roles are not essential for the group to develop and be successful. The key is that a majority of team members play task-facilitating roles."

Accepted Answer

Relationship-building roles are essential for the group to develop and be successful. These roles help build trust, communication, and cooperation among team members, which are crucial for completing tasks effectively. While task-facilitating roles are important, a team cannot be successful without also having members who focus on building and maintaining positive relationships within the group.

Question 19

You have just brought your team together. What should you do in this early stage of your team's development?

Accepted Answer

In the early stage of team development, it's important to focus on helping team members become comfortable with one another to build trust and establish a foundation for effective collaboration.

Question 20

"Your comments are naïve," is more effective feedback than "Your comments do not address the topic."

Accepted Answer

"Your comments do not address the topic." is more effective as it is specific and focuses on the content of the comments rather than labeling the person's approach as naïve, which can be perceived as personal and less constructive.

Quiz 9: Building Effective Teams and Teamwork