Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam Team Leadership and Dynamics 4

Question 1

According to Maslow's hierarchy, a team member who feels their job is at risk due to a Six Sigma project would be primarily motivated by which need?

Accepted Answer

Safety

Answer

Safety needs include job security; when threatened, individuals focus on this level rather than higher-order motivations.

Question 2

A Black Belt uses a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI). What does the 'A' (Accountable) designation mean?

Accepted Answer

The single individual who is ultimately answerable for the task's completion

Answer

Accountable means the one person who owns the outcome and ensures the task is completed correctly; only one person can hold the 'A' for any task.

Question 3

Which of the following BEST describes 'psychological safety' in the context of a Six Sigma team?

Accepted Answer

A climate where team members feel safe to speak up, take risks, and admit errors without fear of punishment

Answer

Psychological safety, studied extensively by Amy Edmondson, enables teams to surface problems and experiment—critical for continuous improvement.

Question 4

A Six Sigma team is experiencing groupthink. Which action BEST counters this phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

Assigning a 'devil's advocate' role to critically challenge decisions

Answer

A devil's advocate is tasked with finding weaknesses in proposals, counteracting the pressure toward premature consensus.

Question 5

What is the PRIMARY benefit of co-locating a Six Sigma project team during the project?

Accepted Answer

Improves informal communication and accelerates problem-solving through proximity

Answer

Physical proximity increases spontaneous communication, faster decisions, and stronger team cohesion compared to distributed teams.

Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam Practice Test