CBS Team Building & Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A newly formed cross-functional team is struggling with unclear roles. Which tool is most effective for clarifying individual responsibilities?
- RACI matrix (Correct answer)
- Gantt chart
- SWOT analysis
- Balanced scorecard
Correct answer: RACI matrix
A RACI matrix explicitly maps each task to who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, eliminating role ambiguity.
Question 2: During Tuckman's 'Storming' stage, what is the leader's most effective approach?
- Step back and let the team self-organize
- Facilitate conflict resolution and clarify goals (Correct answer)
- Replace underperforming team members
- Increase task assignments to redirect energy
Correct answer: Facilitate conflict resolution and clarify goals
In the Storming stage, leaders should facilitate open dialogue, mediate conflicts, and reinforce shared goals to move the team forward.
Question 3: A team consistently meets deadlines but produces low-quality output. Which intervention targets the root cause most directly?
- Extend project timelines
- Implement a peer review process (Correct answer)
- Add more team members
- Increase performance bonuses
Correct answer: Implement a peer review process
A peer review process creates accountability for quality within the team and surfaces errors before delivery.
Question 4: Which leadership style is most appropriate when team members have high competence but low motivation?
- Directing
- Coaching
- Supporting (Correct answer)
- Delegating
Correct answer: Supporting
The Supporting style (Situational Leadership) addresses motivational gaps in competent team members through encouragement and involvement.
Question 5: A virtual team spread across five time zones is experiencing communication breakdowns. What structural change would most improve coordination?
- Require all members to work the same shift
- Establish a documented async communication protocol with defined response windows (Correct answer)
- Reduce team size to only overlapping time zones
- Switch all communication to video calls
Correct answer: Establish a documented async communication protocol with defined response windows
Async communication protocols with clear expectations allow distributed teams to collaborate effectively without requiring simultaneous availability.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a team charter?
- To assign performance ratings to each member
- To establish shared norms, goals, and operating agreements (Correct answer)
- To define the project budget and timeline
- To document individual compensation plans
Correct answer: To establish shared norms, goals, and operating agreements
A team charter codifies the team's purpose, norms, roles, and working agreements to align members from the outset.
Question 7: An experienced team suddenly shows declining performance after a leadership change. This pattern most likely reflects which phenomenon?
- Regression to the Forming stage (Correct answer)
- Groupthink escalation
- Social loafing onset
- Skill obsolescence
Correct answer: Regression to the Forming stage
Tuckman's model recognizes that teams can regress to earlier stages when significant changes like new leadership disrupt established dynamics.
CBS Team Building & Development 2
A newly formed cross-functional team is struggling with unclear roles.
Which tool is most effective for clarifying individual responsibilities?