CME Team Building & Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A newly formed project team is experiencing conflict over roles and decision-making authority. According to Tuckman's model, this team is most likely in which stage?
- Forming
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Norming
- Performing
Correct answer: Storming
The Storming stage is characterized by interpersonal conflict, power struggles, and resistance to group influence as members assert themselves.
Question 2: Which team development intervention is MOST effective when a team has low cohesion due to members not understanding each other's working styles?
- Implementing stricter performance metrics
- Conducting a Myers-Briggs or DiSC personality assessment workshop (Correct answer)
- Increasing the frequency of status meetings
- Reassigning team members to different roles
Correct answer: Conducting a Myers-Briggs or DiSC personality assessment workshop
Personality assessments like DiSC or MBTI help team members understand behavioral differences and improve interpersonal communication and collaboration.
Question 3: A manager notices that one team member consistently dominates discussions while others disengage. What is the BEST corrective approach?
- Privately counsel the dominant member and use structured turn-taking in meetings (Correct answer)
- Remove the dominant member from the team
- Allow the dynamic to self-correct over time
- Assign the dominant member as the official team spokesperson
Correct answer: Privately counsel the dominant member and use structured turn-taking in meetings
Private coaching preserves the member's dignity while structured participation techniques ensure all voices are heard in group settings.
Question 4: In the context of virtual teams, which factor most significantly undermines team cohesion compared to co-located teams?
- Differences in technical skills
- Lack of spontaneous informal interaction (Correct answer)
- Inconsistent work schedules across locations
- Reliance on written communication
Correct answer: Lack of spontaneous informal interaction
Informal hallway conversations and spontaneous interactions build trust and rapport that are difficult to replicate in virtual settings.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes psychological safety in a team context?
- Ensuring all team members have equal workloads
- Creating a climate where members feel safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of punishment (Correct answer)
- Establishing clear consequences for underperformance
- Protecting team members from external organizational pressure
Correct answer: Creating a climate where members feel safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of punishment
Psychological safety, a concept developed by Amy Edmondson, refers to the shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking such as speaking up or admitting mistakes.
Question 6: A cross-functional team is struggling because members maintain loyalty to their functional departments rather than the team. This phenomenon is called:
- Social loafing
- Groupthink
- Silo mentality (Correct answer)
- Role ambiguity
Correct answer: Silo mentality
Silo mentality occurs when team members prioritize their home department's interests over the cross-functional team's shared goals.
Question 7: Which leadership approach is MOST appropriate during the Norming stage of team development?
- Directing — providing clear instructions and close supervision
- Coaching — explaining decisions and soliciting suggestions
- Supporting — sharing decision-making and facilitating the team (Correct answer)
- Delegating — turning over responsibility for decisions to the team
Correct answer: Supporting — sharing decision-making and facilitating the team
In the Norming stage, teams are developing cohesion and processes, so a supportive leadership style that facilitates consensus and collaboration is most effective.
CME Team Building & Development 2
A newly formed project team is experiencing conflict over roles and decision-making authority.
According to Tuckman's model, this team is most likely in which stage?