CCM Team Building & Development 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CCM observes that a high-performing team has regressed to conflict after a key member departed. This best illustrates which concept?
- Team dissolution
- Regression to the Storming stage (Correct answer)
- Role entropy
- Succession failure
Correct answer: Regression to the Storming stage
Team membership changes can cause regression to earlier Tuckman stages, particularly Storming, as dynamics must be renegotiated.
Question 2: Which intervention is most appropriate when a team conflict is rooted in unclear decision-making authority?
- Sensitivity training
- RACI matrix clarification (Correct answer)
- Trust-building exercises
- Anonymous feedback surveys
Correct answer: RACI matrix clarification
A RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) clarifies who owns decisions, directly addressing authority-based conflicts.
Question 3: Task conflict in a team is best managed by a CCM when it:
- Is suppressed before it escalates
- Is channeled into structured debate to improve decision quality (Correct answer)
- Is referred to HR immediately
- Is resolved through majority vote
Correct answer: Is channeled into structured debate to improve decision quality
Research shows that moderate task conflict, when well-managed, enhances decision quality by surfacing diverse perspectives.
Question 4: A team member repeatedly misses deadlines, causing resentment among peers. The CCM's first step should be to:
- Privately explore the member's perspective to understand underlying causes (Correct answer)
- Publicly address the behavior in the next team meeting
- Recommend termination to management
- Assign the member fewer tasks
Correct answer: Privately explore the member's perspective to understand underlying causes
Understanding root causes before taking action is a foundational conflict management principle that prevents premature escalation.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'relationship conflict' in a team context?
- Disagreements about how to divide work
- Personal tensions and interpersonal incompatibilities unrelated to task (Correct answer)
- Disputes over resource allocation
- Differences in technical expertise
Correct answer: Personal tensions and interpersonal incompatibilities unrelated to task
Relationship conflict involves personal animosity or interpersonal friction and tends to be more damaging to team performance than task conflict.
Question 6: When building a diverse team, a CCM should advise leaders that diversity most likely increases conflict because:
- Diverse members have lower commitment to shared goals
- Differences in values, communication styles, and perspectives create friction (Correct answer)
- Homogeneous teams perform better under pressure
- Diversity reduces role clarity
Correct answer: Differences in values, communication styles, and perspectives create friction
Diversity introduces varied perspectives and communication styles, which can increase conflict probability while also improving innovation potential.
Question 7: A CCM facilitating a team-building workshop should prioritize which outcome above all others?
- Complete agreement on all team decisions
- Establishment of trust and open communication norms (Correct answer)
- Identification of the team's weakest performer
- Creation of a competitive team ranking system
Correct answer: Establishment of trust and open communication norms
Trust and open communication are the foundational conditions that enable teams to navigate future conflicts constructively.
CCM Team Building & Development 3
A CCM observes that a high-performing team has regressed to conflict after a key member departed.
This best illustrates which concept?