Project Management- Chapter 11

The first project meeting comes in a variety of shapes and forms and is often held off-site over one or two days. This meeting is called a project _________ meeting.

kick-off

The question 'How will changes be instituted?' best fits as a ____ decision, and should be addressed by project managers early in the project.

managing change

Project managers need to try to make the project team as tangible as possible to the participants by developing a unique team identity to which team members can become emotionally attached. Common vehicles for establishing a team identity include:

-Co-location of team members -Establish team rituals -Effective team meetings -Creation of a team name

Which of the following should you do if you want to have effective meetings?

-Summarize decisions, and review assignments for the next meeting. -Encourage active participation of all members by asking questions. -Review the agenda before beginning, and tentatively allocate time for each item.

Which of the following conflicts can occur during the executing stage of the project life cycle?

-Technical -Schedules -Priorities -Workforce

Disagreements and conflicts naturally emerge within a project team during the life cycle of the project. Participants will disagree over:

-project priorities. -allocation of resources. -quality of work.

In addition to kick-off meetings, project managers are responsible for ___ meetings.

-status report -problem-solving -audit

Consultants use a wide variety of ____ - ____ techniques to elevate team performance.

-team -building

Conflict is detrimental to the success of the project and should be avoided in all cases.

False

On high-priority projects, senior management will often tell a project manager who will be on the team.

False

In what step of group decision making does the team evaluate the effectiveness of the decision?

Follow-up

Which of the following is the last step in facilitating group decision making?

Following up

Match the stages of the Five-Stage Team Development Model with the associated project activity. Forming-----> Storming-----> Norming-----> Performing-----> Adjourning----->

Forming----->Orientation to project Storming----->Emotional response to the demands of the project Norming----->Open exchange of relevant information Performing----->Emergence of a solution Adjourning----->Dissolution of the group

Match the stages of the Five-Stage Team Development Model with the associated project activity. Forming-----> Storming-----> Norming-----> Performing-----> Adjourning----->

Forming----->Orientation to project Storming----->Emotional response to the demands of the project Norming----->Open exchange of relevant information Performing----->Emergence of a solution Adjourning----->Dissolution of the group

____ conflict plays a critical role in obtaining a deeper understanding of the issues and coming up with the best decisions possible.

Functional

Which of the following is NOT an example of behavioral norms associated with high-performing teams?

High performing team members are allowed to establish their own work schedule.

Two of the biggest challenges involved in managing a virtual team are developing trust and effective patterns of communication. Which of the following is NOT one of the tips for alleviating communication problems of virtual teams?

Hold face-to-face meetings

Which of the following is commonly associated with high-performing project teams?

Mistakes are treated as opportunities for learning rather than reasons for punishment.

What is a true statement about reward systems on projects?

Most project managers advocate group rewards.

When forming teams, project managers look for knowledgeable individuals with experience and skills critical to successful project completion. Which of the following is not a proper consideration in the team member recruitment process?

Political affiliation

In what step of group decision making does the project manager identify the underlying issues?

Problem identification

In what step of group decision making does the team assess the merits of alternative solutions?

Reaching a decision

Identify the most significant source of conflict which occurs in all the project phases, i.e. defining, planning, executing, and delivery.

Scheduling

Project managers play a key role in developing high-performance project teams. Which of the following is NOT one of the activities the project manager performs to build a high-performance team?

Select project goals

Which of the following phrases best describes the concept of positive synergy?

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts

According to experience and research, identify a condition under which a high-performance team is more likely to develop?

When team members are located within conversational distance of one another

In the ______ stage of team development, high performance is not a top priority and team members' emotions run from upbeat to depressed.

adjourning

In the ________ approach to managing conflict, the project manager imposes a solution to the conflict after listening to each party.

arbitrate

During ____ , the team generates a list of possible solutions on a flipchart or blackboard.

brainstorming

A team ____ goes beyond the scope statement of the project and states in explicit terms the norms and values of the team.

charter

While project managers tend to focus on group rewards, there are times when they need to reward individual performance. All of the following are among the rewards used to motivate and recognize individual contributions except ______________.

coaching and counseling

During the course of the discussion to reach a decision, the project manager attempts to build ____ among the group.

consensus

The ____ of the project is enhanced by the reputation of the people involved in it.

credibility

One of the biggest challenges in managing a virtual team is ___.

developing effective patterns of communication

One of the biggest challenges in managing a virtual team is ___.

developing trust

In the ______ stage of team development, team members try to find out what behaviors are acceptable and what performance expectations are.

forming

In many matrix structures, the ____ manager controls who is assigned to the project.

functional

Which of the following is the first step in facilitating group decision making?

Identifying problems

The term synergy, which is derived from the Greek word sunergos, means "____ ____ ." (Enter only one word per blank.)

-working -together

When a project team loses momentum, it is the job of the ___ to realign the team with project objectives and get the team moving forward.

project manager

What title best describes the role of the project manager in the group decision making process?

Facilitator

Which of the following are the most important factors affecting the recruitment process when a new project team member is recruited?

-Management structure for the project -Importance of the project

As indicated by experience and research, identify the conditions under which high-performance project teams are much more likely to develop.

-Members are assigned to the project full time -There are 10 or fewer members per team -The organization culture fosters cooperation and trust -Members serve on the project from beginning to end

Which of the following conflicts can occur during the defining stage of the project life cycle?

-Priorities -Procedures -Schedules

Identify the characteristics that are commonly associated with high-performing teams.

-Share a sense of common purpose. -Make effective use of individual talents and expertise. -Encourage risk taking and creativity. -Encourage differences of opinion. -Maintain a problem-solving focus.

What are the essential qualities of an effective vision?

-Strategic sense -Inspire others -Passion -Communicate

During the project definition phase ______, ______, and ________ are the most significant sources of conflict.

-administrative procedures -schedules -priorities

Priorities are the most significant source of conflict in which project phase(s)?

-defining -planning

The symptoms of groupthink include ___.

-negative stereotypes of outsiders -illusion of invulnerability -whitewash of critical thinking

There are typically three objectives project managers try to achieve during the first meeting of the project team. Which of the following is not one of the objectives of the first project team meeting?

Establish the project manager's authority.

Clay is a project manager for a construction project. He observes team members trying out different behaviors to see what is acceptable for the project and personal relations. In what stage of development is his team?

Forming

The Five Stage team development model states that team development generally follows a sequence of stages. Which is the correct order of these stages?

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning

Match the following stages of the five-stage team development model with the associated group process. Forming-----> Storming-----> Norming-----> Performing-----> Adjourning----->

Forming-----> Testing and dependence Storming-----> Intragroup conflict Norming-----> Development of group cohesion Performing----->Functional roles emerge Adjourning----->None

Match the following stages of the five-stage team development model with the associated group process. Forming-----> Storming-----> Norming-----> Performing-----> Adjourning----->

Forming----->Testing and dependence Storming----->Intragroup conflict Norming----->Development of group cohesion Performing----->Functional roles emerge Adjourning----->None

In what step of group decision making does the team brainstorm possible solutions?

Generating alternatives

What is one major finding of Gersick's research on the punctuated equilibrium model of group development?

Gersick's research suggests that not all teams go through the same sequence of the "5 stages" of development.

Which of the following is not a characteristic commonly associated with high-performing teams that exhibit positive synergy?

Have well defined individual role boundaries

Click and drag on elements in order Place the steps involved in group decision making in the correct sequence. (Place the first step at the top.) Reaching a decision Generating alternatives Following up Identifying problems

Identifying problems Generating alternatives Reaching a decision Following up

Match the following symptoms of groupthink with their explanation. Illusion of invulnerability-----> Whitewash of critical thinking-----> Negative stereotypes of outsiders-----> Direct pressure----->

Illusion of invulnerability-----> It is marked by a high degree of esprit de corps, an implicit faith in its own wisdom, and an inordinate optimism that allows group members to feel complacent about the quality of their decisions. Whitewash of critical thinking-----> The group members discuss only a few solutions, ignoring alternatives; they fail to examine the adverse consequences that could follow their preferred course of action. Negative stereotypes of outsiders-----> "Good guy/bad guy" stereotypes emerge in which the group considers any outsiders who oppose their decisions as the "bad guys," who are perceived as incompetent and malicious and whose points are unworthy of serious consideration. Direct pressure-----> When a team member does speak out or question the direction in which the team is headed, they are reminded that speed is important and that the aim is agreement, not argument.

Match the individual reward on the left with its description on the right. Letters of commendation-----> Public recognition-----> Job assignments-----> Flexibility----->

Letters of commendation----->A note or letter stating the way in which an individual has contributed to the project's success. Public recognition----->Beginning a status review with a brief mention of project workers who have exceeded project goals. Job assignments----->Accommodating a team member's preference for a task or duty, in recognition for good work. Flexibility----->Allowing a team member to work at home when a child is ill.

Match the techniques for managing dysfunctional conflict with their descriptions. Mediate the conflict -----> Arbitrate the conflict -----> Control the conflict -----> Accept the conflict -----> Eliminate the conflict ----->

Mediate the conflict ----->The project manager intervenes and tries to negotiate a resolution by using reasoning and persuasion, suggesting alternatives and the like. Arbitrate the conflict ----->The manager imposes a solution to the conflict after listening to each party. The goal is not to decide who wins but to have the project win. Control the conflict ----->The manager attempts to reduce the intensity of the conflict by smoothing over differences or interjecting humor. Accept the conflict ----->In some cases the conflict will outlive the life of the project, and the project manager may have no choice but to allow it to continue. Eliminate the conflict ----->Sometimes the conflict has escalated to the point that it is no longer tolerable and the source(s) must be removed from the project.

Mary is the project manager of a project team formed to develop a new product for her organization. She notices that close relationships, feelings of camaraderie, and shared responsibilities for the team's success have formed. In what stage of development is her team?

Norming

____ managers play a key role in developing high-performance project teams.

Project

_____ postulates that project groups transition from a lower level to a higher level of performance about halfway through the project.

Punctuated equilibrium model of group development

A virtual project team is one in which the team members are geographically situated so that they may seldom, if ever, meet face-to-face as a team.

True

Groupthink refers to the tendency of members in highly cohesive groups to make decisions quickly without adequate consideration of alternatives.

True

Match the tip on the left, with the tool or technique a project manager can use to implement the tip, on the right. Use electronic video technology to verify work-----> Don't let team members vanish.-----> Establish clear norms and protocols for surfacing assumptions and conflicts.-----> Share the pain.-----> Establish a code of conduct to avoid delays.----->

Use electronic video technology to verify work-----> Have members "show" work that has been done via Internet video. Don't let team members vanish.----->Use an internet scheduling software to store team member's calendars. Establish clear norms and protocols for surfacing assumptions and conflicts.----->Ask team members to explain their viewpoints, actions, and concerns clearly; double-check that the message has been understood. Share the pain.----->Rotate meeting times so that all team members have a turn working according to their clock. Establish a code of conduct to avoid delays.-----> Develop a priority system to distinguish messages that require immediate response from those with longer time frames.

The _______ stage of team development ends once team members begin to think of themselves as part of a group and the team moves to the ______ stage.

forming, storming

Without shared ____ there is no common ground for working out differences.

goals

When complex problems require input from multiple specialists, ____ decision making should be used.

group

When strong commitment to a decision is needed, ______ should be used.

group decision making

The use of 6:00 a.m. meetings to get a project back on schedule is an example of ______ reinforcement to motivate project performance.

negative

The statement, "the whole is less than the sum of its parts" describes _____________.

negative synergy

In the ________ stage of team development, the team is fully functional and accepted. And the group will work together to accomplish project goals.

performing

For conventional work groups, ______ is the last stage of their development. However, for project teams, there is a(n) ______ phase where attention is devoted to wrapping up the project.

performing; adjourning

Questions such as 'How will the project plan be developed?' and 'What are the specific roles and responsibilities of the participants?' are part of the ____ decisions a project manager needs to address.

planning

Questions that related to stakeholder interaction best fit as ____ decisions, that a project manager should address early in the project.

relationship

Symbolic actions at the project level that contribute to a unique team subculture are called ________.

team rituals

Too often when constrained by time, project managers try to accomplish too much during the first meeting, rather than use ________ and not create information overload.

the keep it simple stupid (KISS) principle

Questions such as "How will progress be assessed?" and "How will team members get data from each other?" are part of the ______ decisions that a project manager should address early in the project.

tracking

In a ________ project team the members are geographically situated so that they may seldom meet face-to-face as a team.

virtual

A shared ____ is the answer to the question "What do we want to create?"

vision