Developing Effective Teams: Practice Milestone

Which of the following is an example of "efficiency" as it relates to effective teams?

"I found a way to perform the calculations twice as quickly with the same level of accuracy," Lin shared. "Can I show you how?" (Recall that flexibility is defined as the ability to handle change well. Therefore, flexibility is best demonstrated by the scenarios with Marcus and Benjamin and with Pam and Allie. Efficiency is defined as the ability to achieve goals with minimal waste of resources. Therefore, efficiency is best demonstrated by the scenario with Lin. The scenario with Brian demonstrates neither flexibility nor efficiency.)

Select the reward that is tangible but non-monetary.

A pen with the company logo inscribed on the side (A pen with the company logo inscribed on the side is an example of a tangible non-monetary reward, as it is a physical gift, but not cash-based. An increased number of direct reports, greater autonomy and latitude in decision making, and verbal praise in front of the entire team are examples of intangible non-monetary rewards because they represent increased responsibilities and greater involvement and visibility in the company and on the team. A gift card for Target stores is an example of a monetary reward, as it is a cash-equivalent.)

Psychologist Albert Mehrabian studied the relative significance of tone of voice, body language, and words spoken in interpersonal communications. Which of the following elements would have the greatest impact on communication, according to Mehrabian's research?

Belinda's eyes are narrowed and her arms are crossed. (In his research, Albert Mehrabian indicated that body language accounts for 55% of our communication, our tone of voice accounts for 38%, and our verbal accounts for only 7%. Therefore, Belinda's body language - narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms - would have the greatest impact.)

Which of the following is a recommended way to improve personal efficiency?

Communicate directly when a task is not a good fit for you. (In order to improve your personal efficiency, you should be honest about any tasks that may not be a good fit for you. This will allow you to seek help from a colleague who may be better positioned to complete the task in a timely manner. The other three answer choices are incorrect. You should not focus on the details of the project, putting the overall goals aside. Instead, focusing on the overall goals can help you determine which details are most important. You should not leave any tasks that include dependencies for later on in the process. If a task has dependencies, leaving this task undone until later will hold up all of the other tasks that are dependent upon it. You should not handle any challenges that arise on your own. Instead, you should be open about any challenges you face so that they can be addressed in a timely manner.)

Select the two descriptions that do NOT represent the benefits of a diverse team.

Diverse teams usually have a smooth, tension free workflow. Diverse teams see eye-to-eye from the start. (Seeing eye-to-eye from the start and having a smooth, tension free workflow are the correct answers, as these are not benefits of a diverse team. Members of diverse teams may have differing personalities or viewpoints that can clash at times. However, diverse teams are better able to handle this type of conflict. The benefits of a diverse team do include more creative solutions, differing perspectives, increased productivity, and more open-mindedness. This is because diverse teams have access to many different viewpoints that can be incorporated into goals and solutions.)

Which of the following is a true statement?

Face-to-face meetings carry the benefit of being able to clearly see expressions and read body language; however, the meeting must be limited to people in the area. (Face-to-face meetings do, in fact, carry the benefit of being able to clearly see expressions and read body language. It is also true that these meetings are limited to people located nearby. The other three statements are false. While a conference call is an ideal method of communication for a team separated by great distances, the ability to see expressions and hear tones is not lost. On any call, you can hear the tone of voice others are using. If the call includes video, then you can see facial expressions as well. It's true that emailing does not allow you to read the sender's body language, but it's untrue that emailing is the best method for exchanging ideas or having a discussion. Instead, emailing is best for recapping processes or plans. Virtual meetings are not limited to people in the area; rather, they enable all team members, regardless of geographical location, to participate. Unlike written communication, virtual meetings do not allow receivers to process messages at their own pace. Instead, this type of meeting provides a sense of in-person exchange.)

Select the choice that is an effective technique for dealing with ambiguity.

Gain a better understanding of factors leading to the ambiguity. (this is an effective method for dealing with ambiguity. Determining what makes a situation ambiguous will help you see where you need to focus your efforts when brainstorming possible solutions. The other three answer choices are incorrect. Ambiguity in certain situations is inevitable, so simply trying to avoid ambiguity is not a useful approach. Inventing information to fill in any unknown areas is not recommended, as this would involve replacing unknown information with incorrect information. Forming conclusions as quickly as possible is not recommended, as it's important to carefully evaluate your options before determining which risks are worth taking.)

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of cross training within a team?

Gathering information about competitors' approaches. (Recall that cross training is when an employee learns how to complete responsibilities outside of his or her own role. The benefits of cross training include improved group comprehension and overall connection, greater flexibility to cover gaps, and increased skill sets among team members.)

Which of the following is an example of an internal filter in communication?

Isa's boss tells her that the report was excellent, but she is so concerned about his opinion that she only hears his comment about the issues with margin formatting. (Recall that internal filters can come in the form of emotions and personal biases, as well as differences in language, culture, and context. "Isa's boss tells her that the report was excellent, but she is so concerned about his opinion that she only hears his comment about the issues with margin formatting" demonstrates an internal filter in the communication process, as it is Isa's internal concerns preventing the message from being fully received. An external filter is an element introduced by the environment or communication method that may disrupt the communication process. "Bob tries to guess what Leah is saying because their Skype connection is poor and she keeps cutting out" demonstrates an external filter in the communication process, as a poor connection prevents the message from coming across clearly. A confirmation message is the receiver's explanation of his or her understanding of the sender's message. "Sandy and her family listen carefully at the McDonald's drive-through as the cashier reads their order back to them" demonstrates a confirmation message, as the cashier is confirming that he or she has heard the order correctly. "Larry asks Gina a question about herself and she responds by asking him a different question, this time focused on Larry" does not accurately demonstrate any of the terms provided.)

Which of the following is an example of the benefits of ambiguity?

Janice provides the advertising creative team with a description of a client's goals and asks the team to brainstorm possible campaign ideas. (The scenario with Janice demonstrates a potential benefit of ambiguity, as an ambiguous situation can provide the opportunity for unexpected and creative solutions. The other three answer choices do not demonstrate potential benefits of ambiguity. Instead, they demonstrate the issues that can result when ambiguity is not handled effectively.)

Which of the following is likely to decrease trust?

Keeping expectations open-ended and flexible (Keeping expectations open-ended is likely to decrease trust because team members won't understand what they are accountable for. Holding frequent meetings to discuss issues or concerns and providing frequent individual check-ins are likely to increase trust, as team members will have the opportunity to ask questions and clear up any uncertainty. Indicating that you understand someone else's perspective is likely to increase trust because it demonstrates open-mindedness and lack of bias.)

Which of the following would NOT be a side effect of unclear roles and responsibilities?

Lack of team diversity (While diversity is important to high performing teams, a lack of diversity is not a result of unclear roles and responsibilities. Rather, a lack of diversity stems from how the team was put together. The other answer choices represent possible side effects of unclear roles and responsibilities. When roles and responsibilities are poorly defined, the team risks duplication of effort, unfinished work, and arguments over territory.)

Select the statement that best describes the recommended approach for developing team goals.

Mario convenes a team meeting, and the team begins to brainstorm possible goals. (Represents the best approach for developing team goals. This is because team goals should be developed collectively by the team as a whole to ensure buy-in. The other answer choices are incorrect. While the team leader ultimately approves the goals, he or she should not create the goals without team input. Team goals are developed at the team level; members of other departments or leaders who oversee multiple teams may not have the same understanding of or context for a specific team's desired outcomes.)

Mariah and Lyra are part of a team that is tasked with designing a new workplace policy. After some initial friction, they agree that the team's goals take precedence over their disagreement. Which phase of team development are they in?

Norming. (describes norming, as that is the stage in which the team starts to gain momentum as a cohesive unit.)

Which of the following is NOT an example of contextual meaning?

Paulina thinks that the word "skirmish" means a person moving around uncomfortably, so she uses the word incorrectly, saying, "I was so nervous that I was skirmishing in my seat throughout the entire movie." Her friends seem confused and ask her to explain what she means. (Recall that contextual meaning is the meaning of a word or phrase within a particular context. The scenario with Paulina is the correct answer, as it demonstrates denotation, or the dictionary definition of a word or phrase, not contextual meaning. The other three scenarios all demonstrate contextual meaning since they are concerned with how the meaning of a particular term is understood in certain situations.)

The core characteristics of high performing teams are clearly defined roles, trust among team members, diverse skill sets, and ______.

Personal accountability. (The main characteristics of high performing teams include clearly defined roles, diverse skill sets, effective communication, individual accountability, and mutual trust. While professional certifications, advanced technology skills, and closeness among team members may add value in certain contexts, they are not essential to the quality of a team's performance.)

Harry manages a small sales team and wants to start off the year by gathering the team to develop some collective performance goals. Here is one of the goals that they created: We will collectively increase our client base by 25% as a result of three initiatives: doubling print advertising, making weekly sales calls, and increasing word of mouth by instituting a referral program. Which SMART component is missing from this goal?

The goal is not time-phased. (The time-phased aspect of this goal is missing. For a goal to be time-phased, there must be a clear deadline for the goal's completion. The goal is specific, as it gives a detailed description of what should be accomplished. The goal is action-oriented, as it will require effort to accomplish. The goal is measurable, as there is a clear measurement (25%) to determine the goal's success.)