Chapter 3 SmartBook

What are the two team norms that are most important for psychological safety?

All team members contribute about the same amount to conversations. Team members are empathetic and understand each other's feelings.

Right before ending a meeting that you are leading, you should

restate key action items. ensure attendees understand their assignments.

Which of the following are true about effective meetings?

They help teams organize their efforts. They can help teams work more productively.

What is the primary value of personality and communication assessments?

They promote conversations that specifically discuss team members' preferences and approaches to teamwork.

Which of the following is something successful business people do?

They tackle difficult conversations with tact.

What are traits of high-performing teams?

They view diverse opinions as natural and as sources of innovation. They welcome new ideas, even when they conflict with current ideas.

In order to approach a difficult conversation with tact and keep it "safe," you should

assume positive intent.

The use of which of the following words or phrases would be an indication of an effective approach in handling a difficult conversation by avoiding any exaggeration?

sometimes

Group members see outsiders as morally inferior or less competent.

stereotyping

Tom is a team leader. Joe is a team member who interrupts Tom and other team members during their meetings. Joe does not have constructive comments but instead makes negative comments about what the team member is saying. Tom pulls Joe aside after a meeting. Which of the following should Tom say to deal with the situation constructively?

"At the next meeting, please let your team members finish what they are saying before you comment."

Mason and his boss, Darius, are having a conversation about how much time Mason should be devoting to a particular client. Darius wants Mason to devote 75% of his time at work to the client, but Mason feels his time would be better spent searching for new clients. Which of the following would be the best way for Mason to express his disagreement?

"I feel the company would benefit more if I spent my time searching out new business."

Rory and Kumiko, two managers, are having a conversation about Lindsey, one of Kumiko's employees. Rory saw Lindsey taking home a large number of office supplies and feels that she should be suspended without pay for a week. Kumiko feels that this punishment is too harsh for a first offense. Which of the following is an example of how Kumiko might diplomatically disagree with Rory?

"I understand what you're saying, and I agree that there should be consequences, but I feel a warning is more appropriate."

Rhonda is having a difficult conversation with a colleague. Which of the following statements indicate that Rhonda may be oversimplifying the conversation?

"You never follow the guidelines." "This always happens when I ask your team to do anything quickly." "Either you adhere to protocol or there will be consequences."

divergence

-considering many solutions -achieved by working independently -basic problem and criteria for solution given to each team member

convergence

-creating a small set of feasible solutions -highly collaborative -contributions from all team members

Which type of diversity generally best improves a company's chances to attract a new market?

2-D diversity

In general, which of the following should you do when conducting a meeting?

Assign certain participants specific roles, such as facilitator or timer. Indicate if there are certain topics that should be considered confidential.

Which of the following is a benefit of conflict for high-performing teams?

It increases the potential for inventiveness.

In what ways does groupthink relate to teams?

Effective teams strive to avoid groupthink. Groupthink frequently leads to bad choices. It is common for groupthink to take place on teams.

Which of the following should you do when approaching a difficult conversation?

Enter into the conversation with a learner mind-set. Engage in a joint process of understanding the problems and creating solutions. Invite others to tell their stories and describe their feelings.

True or false: In lower-performing groups, team members offer more supportive statements than any other type of comment in their communications.

False

Greta is a team leader and holds weekly meetings. One of her team members snickers and rolls her eyes during every meeting. Which of the following is the best way for Greta to address this disruptive behavior?

Greta should meet privately with the employee to discuss the behavior and how it negatively affects the team.

Which of the following should be done during the final steps of a group writing project to ensure a consistent voice?

Group members should provide input as a single member polishes the final version.

Henry is working on a group writing project. As his writing progresses, he faces some difficult choices. Which of the following is Henry's best choice?

He should meet with his team to discuss the decisions.

Which of the following are reasons why creating a tradition for starting meetings is important? (Choose every correct answer.)

It can help define a common sense of purpose. It can help open people up when meetings start. It can emphasize the company's core values.

Denise's team has started a group writing project. As the team gathered information and began drafting initial findings and conclusions, it found that its earlier plans and decisions were not accurate. What should the team do?

It should reassess its original plans and make necessary changes.

Team K must produce a group writing project. Maia wants to start quickly. Darnell thinks it would be better to start closer to the final deadline in order to work under more pressure. Alcina thinks each person should write independently, with the pieces put together at the end. Rob is the strongest writer, so he wants to write everything himself but share the credit with the group. Who has the most effective idea?

Maia

How has the use of online meetings changed over time?

Most businesspeople now use online meetings. Online meetings were common before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of online meetings grew rapidly in the first few months of 2020.

What are some challenges of online meetings?

They feel impersonal. They are prone to technical issues. They have fewer nonverbal clues.

Ray is a new manager in the sales division of a company that makes and markets tennis rackets to small sporting goods stores. He decides to start every meeting by sharing some background information about a customer. What is Ray doing?

Ray is creating a tradition to emphasize a common sense of purpose.

Which of the following are guidelines for agendas?

Send the agenda out ahead of time. Consider placing the most important items first. Get others involved in the agenda-creation process.

What does it mean when a team has psychological safety?

Team members are unafraid to take risks in front of the team.

Which of the following statements are true of teams?

Teams perform better when they communicate effectively. Some teams are formal and permanent.

Which of the following should you do to effectively carry out your meeting objectives?

Tell participants what they need to do before the meeting. Let participants know how long the meeting will be. Inform participants about the meeting's content.

Which of the following statements about group writing are true?

The emphasis on teams in today's workplace has made it more prevalent. It can be a challenging process.

Why can embracing difficult conversations be a good idea?

The exchange of competing ideas reflects open and honest communication. Colleagues often respect each other more if they know they can safely disagree.

Which of the following are ways to ensure fairness in the member roles and contributions in a group writing project?

The group members should equally divide their contributions and time commitments. The group members should talk about the roles and expectations they have for each other. The group members should consider using a team charter to state the expectations for each member.

Which of the following should be done during the planning stage of group writing?

The group should establish definitive purposes and goals. The group should assign roles for researching and writing. The group should work together to determine the basic problems and issues.

As a group writing project progresses and individual writers encounter difficult decisions that need to be made, which of the following should be done?

The group should meet in real time to discuss the decisions. The team should have discussions to ensure the writing reflects the views of the group.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic influence online meetings?

The use of online meetings grew dramatically during the pandemic.

Which of the following is typically true of those business people who approach difficult conversations in a timely, honest, and caring manner?

They achieve more professionally.

What are some benefits of online meetings?

They are convenient. They are efficient. They allow collaboration from people in different locations.

Which of the following are true about ineffective meetings?

They are generally a waste of time. They may form divisions between team members.

Which of the following are benefits of team members taking a personality assessment and discussing their results?

They will gain understanding of preferred communication styles. They will better comprehend the values of the teams members.

Willow's team has split up the contributions for its group writing project equally, with individual team members committing to set amounts of time. Jim's team has decided to let each member decide how much time he or she wants to spend according to individual schedules. Wyatt's team has divided up the contributions and time commitments equally. Jill's team wrote a team charter but then disbanded. Which team has the best approach to group writing?

Wyatt's team

What are some situations during online meetings that require the meeting facilitator to demonstrate understanding for the participants?

a participant may have an intermittent internet connection a participant's pet may enter the background a participant's child may begin crying

Oksana is a member of a team that has been put in charge of designing new marketing material for her company. Each member of the team has already been assigned a role, and together they have begun working on the project. However, this morning Oksana discovered that the new company logo will need to be redesigned because it is too similar to that of another company. As a result, what kind of meeting would Oksana's team need to schedule?

a problem-solving meeting

What is a good way to get input and participation on sensitive topics?

allow anonymous feedback

What are some effective ways to increase interaction and participation in online meetings?

allow anonymous input take minutes in real time use precise and concise language engage all participants with questions

Finding common ground in a conversation will help you ______ the issues at hand and may lead to mutually acceptable solutions.

analyze

When editing and working on a group writing project, team members should

be in agreement about the technologies that will be used. be mindful of version control to avoid simultaneous editing.

Which of the following is the way that the most innovative teams do their work?

by balancing time spent working independently and time spent working as a team

Massiel and her boss, Marco, are having a difficult conversation about one of her clients, who is refusing to follow through on a contract. Massiel is obviously growing angry. How should Marco respond?

by showing empathy and helping her channel the anger appropriately

What are ways in which you can disagree diplomatically?

by using I-statements by validating the other person's views and feelings

Cycles of divergence and convergence are particularly effective for helping teams do which of the following?

capture diverse ideas avoid groupthink

The initial ideas in a discussion excessively influence the ultimate decisions.

cascading

Group members convince themselves a solution is the best one, even when faced with conflicting information.

collective rationalization

A group has experienced quite a few successes and begins to assume it will automatically make good decisions.

complacency

Kent and Maria are discussing a complaint that a customer made about Kent. Maria says, "Kent, I know you are aware of the complaint against you. First, I would like to hear your side of the story. Then, I would like to work with you so that we can come up with a plan to prevent this from happening in the future." Which of the following is Maria doing?

effectively initiating the conversation

How can you make online meetings more productive?

establish psychological safety and inclusivity practice and experiment with meeting features maintain professionalism and understanding increase interaction and participation

Which of the following should meeting facilitators do?

get attendees to take part in the meeting check for comprehension of agenda points

Latrice, Jorge, Francesca, and Seamus are on a team tasked with producing a document on educational assessment. Each of them will contribute to the document as they work collaboratively. This is a process known as

group writing.

How can short-term teams best avoid the danger of not exploring all options?

having an effective launch meeting

When revising a group writing project, revisions should focus on which of the following?

how well and smoothly the sections of the project work together language mechanics, ease of reading, and formatting the strength of the group's ideas and the audience's needs

Team members are overly optimistic in their ideas and don't consider the risks or drawbacks of their ideas.

illusion of invulnerability

No one speaks out against the majority view and, as a result, everyone assumes there is agreement.

illusion of unanimity

Which of the following is the biggest barrier to team effectiveness according to business professionals?

ineffective communication

Which of the following is a problem often faced by business professionals who are attempting to have a difficult conversation?

internal noise

Which of the following should be included in meeting minutes? (Choose every correct answer.)

key discussion points action items to be completed

Finding common ground in a conversation leads to ______ between you and the other person.

less emotional distance

Which of the following is a good approach to handling a difficult conversation?

listening to the story of the other person first, then sharing your own story, then creating a shared story

What are some effective ways to establish psychological safety and inclusivity during online meetings?

make accommodations for people with limitations take time for social chat establish and review norms for online meetings

Team members who purposely filter information so there is no dissent or threat to the team leader.

mindguards

Group members assume they're morally correct and as a result dismiss competing ideas or alternate solutions.

moral high ground

An agenda is designed to

offer structure for a meeting.

The majority of group members pressure or even penalize a member with dissenting views

peer pressure

How can you make online meetings more accessible to people who are participating in a second language?

provide closed captioning provide transcripts

Minutes serve as a

record of what was accomplished during a meeting.

Once you have been assigned a group writing project, when is the best time to start on it?

right away

Which of the following are typical ground rules laid out at the beginning of a meeting?

rules regarding participation rules regarding electronic equipment use

Group members don't voice their opinions for the sake of harmony.

self-censorship

Which of the following is a good way to follow up after a meeting?

send out the minutes from the meeting

What are effective methods short-term teams use to quickly develop trust?

setting up a deliverable schedule and frequently evaluating performance getting to know each other holding a launch meeting committing to collaborating and working independently

In order to make sure that action items are completed, which of the following are often included in the meeting minutes?

the names of the people responsible for each action item the date by which each action item must be completed

Which of the following items should be included on an agenda?

the roles of participants the materials needed

Which of the following should be included on an agenda?

time frames items to be covered expected outcomes

Why do teams meet on a frequent basis?

to better meet deadlines to create a shared perspective on goals

Harmony has scheduled a virtual social chat session before the team's first online meeting. What is the main purpose of the social chat session?

to create psychological safety and inclusivity

Which of the following is the benefit of one group member polishing the final version of a group writing project?

to make sure the project has a consistent voice

What are some methods for maintaining professionalism during online meetings?

using nonverbal cues dressing professionally managing time well choosing a suitable background

How should you approach an emotionally charged conversation?

with a learner mind-set

When members of high-performing teams communicate, the majority of their comments are

work related.