Caliper Assessment Communication and Conflict Resolution 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An employee consistently avoids giving direct feedback to peers, preferring to relay concerns through a manager. According to Caliper trait analysis, this most likely reflects high:
- Assertiveness
- Accommodation tendency
- Empathy without assertiveness (Correct answer)
- Abstract reasoning
Correct answer: Empathy without assertiveness
Strong empathy makes individuals aware of how their feedback might hurt others, but low assertiveness prevents them from delivering it directly.
Question 2: Which communication approach is MOST effective when delivering unwelcome news to a team?
- Deliver the news via email to allow people to process privately
- Be direct and clear, acknowledge the impact, and invite questions (Correct answer)
- Delay the announcement until a positive event can be paired with it
- Share the news selectively with key influencers first
Correct answer: Be direct and clear, acknowledge the impact, and invite questions
Direct, honest delivery combined with acknowledgment of impact and space for questions builds credibility and trust during difficult moments.
Question 3: In the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), the 'competing' style is characterized by:
- High assertiveness and low cooperativeness (Correct answer)
- Low assertiveness and high cooperativeness
- High assertiveness and high cooperativeness
- Low assertiveness and low cooperativeness
Correct answer: High assertiveness and low cooperativeness
The competing style prioritizes one's own goals (high assertiveness) at the expense of the other party's concerns (low cooperativeness).
Question 4: A manager notices two high-performing employees have stopped collaborating due to a unresolved disagreement. The FIRST action should be:
- Separate the two employees into different projects permanently
- Meet individually with each person to understand their perspective before facilitating a joint conversation (Correct answer)
- Hold a group meeting with the full team to surface and resolve the issue publicly
- Warn both employees that continued conflict will affect their performance reviews
Correct answer: Meet individually with each person to understand their perspective before facilitating a joint conversation
Individual conversations first allow each party to feel heard privately and give the manager a balanced picture before facilitating a joint resolution.
Question 5: Which nonverbal behavior MOST signals openness and receptivity during a difficult conversation?
- Leaning slightly forward with uncrossed arms and relaxed facial expression (Correct answer)
- Maintaining intense, unbroken eye contact to show you are focused
- Taking continuous notes without looking up
- Sitting at a desk with a physical barrier between you and the other person
Correct answer: Leaning slightly forward with uncrossed arms and relaxed facial expression
Open posture, forward lean, and relaxed expression together communicate engagement and safety, encouraging honest dialogue.
Question 6: A customer service representative receives an aggressive complaint via written chat. Before responding, the rep should FIRST:
- Ask the customer to call instead since chat is not appropriate for serious complaints
- Report the aggressive language to their supervisor before engaging
- Pause to ensure their response addresses the issue rather than reacts to the tone (Correct answer)
- Copy the transcript to HR before responding
Correct answer: Pause to ensure their response addresses the issue rather than reacts to the tone
Pausing allows the rep to craft a professional, solution-focused response rather than an emotional reaction to the aggressive tone.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes the role of 'framing' in conflict communication?
- Presenting only the facts without any interpretive language
- Choosing language and context that shapes how the other party perceives the situation (Correct answer)
- Limiting the scope of what topics can be discussed
- Assigning blame clearly so responsibility is understood
Correct answer: Choosing language and context that shapes how the other party perceives the situation
Framing determines whether a situation is perceived as a threat or an opportunity, a personal attack or a shared problem, powerfully influencing how conflict unfolds.
Caliper Assessment Communication and Conflict Resolution 5
An employee consistently avoids giving direct feedback to peers, preferring to relay concerns through a manager.
According to Caliper trait analysis, this most likely reflects high: