Business Comm Chapter 2

When your department head Ms. Westlake arranges chairs informally in a circle during a meeting, what kind of message is she sending?

A nonverbal message that she is encouraging an open, egalitarian exchange of ideas

Which of the following sends the least positive nonverbal message?

An employee sends her colleagues an e-mail message that contains several misspellings and grammatical errors. Sending an e-mail message full of errors conveys the nonverbal message that the writer doesn't care enough to take the time to make the message read well or look good, which immediately causes the receiver to doubt the credibility of the sender.

Alfonso has been invited to attend his first sales meeting and wants to be an active and productive member from the very beginning. Which of the following should he do to make a good impression?

Come prepared to the meeting by doing any preliminary work required.

Select the most accurate statement about eye contact.

Communicators consider the eyes to be the most accurate predictor of a speaker's true feelings and attitudes.

Gwen is leading a meeting and wants to make sure that they stick to the agenda and end on time. What should she do to move the meeting along?

Generate a list of important but divergent topics that should be discussed later.

Sam is in charge of conducting a meeting during which a major company decision about reorganization will be made. Whom should he invite?

Ideally, decision makers and people with the information necessary to make the decision should attend. Also attending should be people who will be responsible for implementing the decision and representatives of groups who will be affected by the decision.

Nasim has come to you for advice about conducting a virtual meeting. What is the best advice you can give him?

Leave time before or after the scheduled virtual meeting for small talk.

Khalida is responsible for planning a virtual meeting with participants on three different continents. What should she do before the meeting takes place to ensure that it is productive?

Make sure the technology being used is accessible to all meeting participants, set the meeting time using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and decide what language will be used. In addition, she should provide any necessary training, encourage participants to log on 15 minutes early, and distribute any materials that will be shared.

Which is the most accurate statement about nonverbal communication?

Nonverbal messages in some situations speak louder than the words spoken.

A committee has been formed to study the feasibility of starting a wellness program. The members have just gone through some rough times, but tensions have now subsided and information is starting to flow among members. What phase of team development are they experiencing?

Norming - In the norming phase of team development, roles clarify and information begins to flow among members.

Riley is a customer service representative and has just gone through training to improve his listening skills. Which of the following skills was he most likely taught that will make him a better listener?

Remain silent for a few seconds after a customer finishes to be sure the thought is completed.

Alyssa wants to become a better listener in the workplace. Which of the following is the best technique she can do to improve her listening skills?

Rephrase and summarize the speaker's message in her own words.

Melinda has agreed to be a team leader in her organization and wants to make sure that the team is ethically responsible. What advice would you give her?

Sarah should do all of these as team leader. (Sarah??)

Stephen will be starting a new job soon and wants to exhibit proper business etiquette in his new workplace. What is the best advice you can give him?

Send written thank-you notes to express sincere appreciation and praise.

Which of the following statements about facial expressions and posture is the least accurate?

Standing up straight can make a person look arrogant. (Erect posture sends a message of confidence, competence, diligence, and strength.)

Brianna must schedule an information meeting with 25 participants. She knows that it will be difficult to find a meeting time when everyone is available. What tool will best help her schedule this meeting?

a digital calendar

which of the following statements about meeting agendas is most accurate

an agenda should include any premeeting preparations expected of participants

which of the following is the most accurate statement about your workplace appearance and attire

casual dress policies have led to reduced productivity and lax behavior in some workplaces

A team of top-level executives is rewriting the company's bylaws. Because this decision will have far-reaching and long-term effects, members want to have the most creative, high-quality discussion possible. What group decision-making method should they use?

consensus

A task force must decide whether the company should go public and start selling its stock. Task force members have decided to continue their discussion until all team members have aired their opinions and, ultimately, agree. What method for reaching group decisions is this team using?

consensus - it requires all group members to reach an agreement

Richard is attending an important board meeting with his colleagues to discuss future plans for the company. Many ideas are being presented, and Richard is carefully judging and evaluating what he is hearing. He is also listening to decide whether the speaker's message is fact, fiction, or opinion. Richard is engaging in

critical listening

what is the least accurate statement about workplace teams

decisions reached by teams usually get less buy-in than decisions reached individually

Businesses form teams because teams make better decisions, respond faster, and

demonstrate increased productivity. One of the principal reasons that organizations form teams is that they demonstrate increased productivity. Because they are often closer to the action and to the customer, team members can see opportunities for improving efficiency.

Claudia is putting together a team to brainstorm product development ideas. Because she wants her team to be successful, the team should

develop procedures to guide them

Elizabeth spends a lot of time listening to her colleagues during meetings. Because she must remember what they say, she is always careful to identify main ideas and recognize the purpose of their messages. Elizabeth is engaging in

discriminative listening

Which of the following statements about manners and business etiquette is most accurate?

employers are more likely to hire and promote someone who is courteous and professional

All teams eventually reach the final stage of team development of performing.

false

Alexis is listening to her colleague and must judge and evaluate what he is saying. She is listening to decide whether her colleague's message is fact, fiction, or opinion. Sharon is engaging in discriminative listening.

false - Alexis is engaging in critical listening. Critical listening is necessary when you must judge and evaluate what you are hearing. It means that you must decide whether the speaker's message is fact, fiction, or opinion and whether an argument is based on logic or emotion.

You are attending your first workplace meeting and want to make a good impression. You should try to take credit for everything to show how valuable you are.

false - During business meetings you should give credit to others. You can gain allies and enhance your credibility by recognizing others in front of peers and superiors.

Unlike in face-to-face meetings, ground rules are not needed in virtual meetings.

false - During virtual meetings establishing a few ground rules achieves the best results. Examples of ground rules are defining ways that questions may be asked and answered, turning off cell phones during the meeting, and not allowing multitasking.

Most of us listen at about 75 percent efficiency.

false - Experts say that we listen at only 25 percent efficiency. In other words, we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand 75 percent of everything we hear.

Jessica's team is experiencing considerable conflict and tension as they get used to working with one another. They are most likely in the forming phase of team development.

false - Jessica's team is most likely in the storming phase of team development. During this phase members define their roles and responsibilities, decide how to reach their goals, and iron out the rules governing how they interact. Unfortunately, this stage often produces conflict.

Listening in a college classroom is more challenging than listening on the job.

false - Listening on the job is more difficult than listening in college classes in which experienced professors present well-organized lectures and repeat important points. Workplace listening is more challenging because information is often exchanged casually or under time pressure.

A method of group decision making where group members bargain and negotiate to reach a middle ground is known as consensus.

false - that's called averaging

when following the six-step pattern for dealing with conflict, the first thing you should do is to look for common ground

false - the first step you should take when experiencing conflict is listen to ensure that you understand the problem

Lindsay is planning a meeting to develop a new procedure for handling employee grievances. How many participants should she invite?

five or fewer

A committee has been formed to develop the company's five-year strategic plan. The committee members are just starting to get to know one another and are attempting to bond. What phase of team development are they experiencing?

forming

Brent will be leading a committee meeting and wants to make sure it is effective and efficient. What should Brent do to get the meeting started?

go over ground rules at the beginning of the meeting

what statement about time and space is most accurate

how we structure and use time tells observers about our personality and attitudes

During a meeting Matthew and Jennifer get into an argument about how to prepare a proposal. What is the first step they should take to try to resolve this conflict?

listen carefully to make sure they understand the problem

What about ending a meeting is most accurate

no one should leave the meeting without a full understanding of what was accomplished

Several factors may cause poor listening habits. Which of the following is not one of these factors?

physical hearing disability - Factors that lead to ineffective listening skills include lack of training, the large number of competing sounds and stimuli in our lives, and the ability to process speech faster than others can speak.

Frederick manages the Human Resources Department for his company. The due dates for payroll reports will be changing slightly, and he needs to communicate this information to all company managers. Allan should

send an e-mail or text message to inform the management staff - meetings should not be called to distribute information

Samuel knows that his soft skills will be evaluated during his job interview. What skills should he practice to prepare for his interview?

shaking hands appropriately, exhibiting posture that shows confidence and professionalism, and speaking clearly and maintaining good eye contact. Etiquette expertise, nonverbal behavior, and oral communication skills are all examples of soft skills.

Morgan has just been appointed to a task force and wants to be a positive member. Which of the following is the best advice you can give her?

share her ideas with other team members, even if they might not be adopted - Contributing information and ideas is positive team behavior.

which of the following is not a form of nonverbal communication

the adjectives used in a sales letter

Eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, space, time, distance, and appearance are all examples of nonverbal communication.

true

Listening to customers usually results in increased sales and profitability, as well as improved customer retention.

true

Oral and written communication skills, listening proficiency, nonverbal behavior, and etiquette expertise are all examples of soft skills.

true

Soft skills such as listening, writing, and speaking are most likely to determine hiring and career success.

true

a good agenda includes any pre-meeting preparation expected of participants

true

good listening skills are needed for employees at every level

true

A major problem with virtual meetings is that words and tone can be easily misinterpreted.

true - A major problem when people are not facing each other is that any small infraction or miscue can be blown out of proportion. Words and tone can be easily misinterpreted.

As meeting leader, Benjamin should always begin on time, even if some participants have not yet arrived.

true - Meetings should always begin on time, even if some participants are missing. Waiting for latecomers causes resentment and sets a bad precedent.

which of the following is the best advice for sending professional e-mails on the job

use complete sentences and proper punctuation

The most effective groups and teams have members who are willing to

use e-mail, social media, and other technology to communicate.

Renzo uses his computer to access an online meeting room where he takes part in meetings with his department members. In this meeting room, participants are able to present PowerPoint slides and Word documents, share spreadsheets, demonstrate products, visit Web pages, and use a white board. Renzo and his colleagues are using what type of collaboration technology?

web conferencing