The Retreat (Scenario)
The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to Niagara Falls for their inaugural strategic planning meeting. Few people knew one another, but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that will be effective and usable. Their years of complaining about the old system had landed them with this new responsibility dumped right in their lap. They had four days to become brilliant, and everyone was a little on edge. The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader. Finally, Jim seemed to wrestle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group. By the second day, the group seemed to begin working well. They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process. The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly, with ideas flowing freely. By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed, and they felt satisfied. That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day. They all felt a sense of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life.
-The stage of team development characterized by their being at the retreat for a business reason is known as ________.
A)performing
B)storming
C)forming
D)norming

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario describes the team being sent on a retreat for their inaugural strategic planning meeting, implying that they are just coming together as a team and are in the forming stage of team development. The jockeying for leadership also suggests this. The storming stage would involve conflicts within the team, which is not described in this scenario. The norming and performing stages would come after the team has established roles and responsibilities and is effectively working together, which is not fully achieved until the end of the retreat. Therefore, the best choice is C) forming.

The Retreat (Scenario) The First-Line Managers Were Sent on a Retreat to Niagara