CAM Leadership & Team Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A team member consistently misses deadlines but produces high-quality work when tasks are completed. As an account manager, what is the most effective initial approach?
- Immediately escalate to HR
- Have a private conversation to identify root causes and create an improvement plan (Correct answer)
- Reassign all their tasks to other team members
- Publicly address the issue in the next team meeting
Correct answer: Have a private conversation to identify root causes and create an improvement plan
Private coaching conversations that identify root causes and establish improvement plans are the most constructive first step in performance management.
Question 2: Which leadership style is MOST effective when a team member is highly skilled but lacks motivation?
- Telling (directive)
- Delegating
- Coaching
- Supporting (participating) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Supporting (participating)
The supporting/participating style is best for competent but unmotivated individuals, as it focuses on encouragement and shared decision-making rather than task direction.
Question 3: When managing a cross-functional team for a major account, what is the primary challenge an account manager must address?
- Ensuring everyone uses the same project management software
- Aligning team members who have different reporting structures and priorities (Correct answer)
- Limiting communication to formal meetings only
- Assigning equal workloads regardless of expertise
Correct answer: Aligning team members who have different reporting structures and priorities
Cross-functional teams often have competing priorities and dual-reporting lines, making stakeholder alignment the central leadership challenge.
Question 4: A Certified Account Manager applying the SMART goal framework sets a team objective. Which option is a correctly formed SMART goal?
- Improve client satisfaction soon
- Increase upsell revenue by 15% within the next quarter by targeting the top 10 accounts (Correct answer)
- Try harder to retain all clients
- Do more outreach to new prospects this year
Correct answer: Increase upsell revenue by 15% within the next quarter by targeting the top 10 accounts
SMART goals must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — only option B meets all five criteria.
Question 5: During a team conflict between two account executives over territory boundaries, the account manager should first:
- Let the two resolve it without any involvement
- Make a unilateral decision immediately to end the dispute
- Facilitate a structured discussion where both parties express their concerns (Correct answer)
- Report the conflict to senior management right away
Correct answer: Facilitate a structured discussion where both parties express their concerns
Facilitating a structured discussion allows both parties to be heard and increases the likelihood of reaching a mutually acceptable resolution.
Question 6: What does the term 'psychological safety' mean in the context of team management?
- Ensuring the physical office environment is safe
- Team members feel safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of punishment or humiliation (Correct answer)
- Providing employees with mental health benefits
- Avoiding all conflict within the team
Correct answer: Team members feel safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of punishment or humiliation
Psychological safety, a concept popularized by Amy Edmondson, means team members can speak up, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear of negative repercussions.
Question 7: An account manager notices that team morale has dropped significantly after a major client was lost. The BEST response is to:
- Immediately assign heavier workloads to keep the team busy and distracted
- Acknowledge the loss openly, identify lessons learned, and refocus on a clear path forward (Correct answer)
- Avoid discussing the loss to prevent further negativity
- Replace underperforming team members as soon as possible
Correct answer: Acknowledge the loss openly, identify lessons learned, and refocus on a clear path forward
Acknowledging setbacks transparently, extracting lessons, and creating a forward-looking plan builds resilience and restores team confidence.
CAM Leadership & Team Management 2
A team member consistently misses deadlines but produces high-quality work when tasks are completed.
As an account manager, what is the most effective initial approach?