Project Leadership & Team Management Flashcards

A project coordinator has formal authority over a team member when:

Answer: The team member directly reports to the coordinator in a hierarchical structure

Formal (legitimate) power derives from official organizational authority, such as being someone's direct manager.

Which conflict resolution approach results in a 'lose-lose' outcome?

Answer: Compromising

Compromising requires both parties to give up something, resulting in a partial win for each but a fully satisfying outcome for neither.

Team ground rules in project management are important because they:

Answer: Set clear expectations for behavior and reduce interpersonal conflicts

Ground rules align the team on acceptable conduct early, reducing misunderstandings and friction throughout the project.

Which team development technique involves bringing geographically dispersed team members together in one location for critical meetings?

Answer: Co-location (war room)

Co-location temporarily gathers distributed team members to strengthen relationships and improve collaboration on complex problems.

When a project team member consistently underperforms despite coaching, the project coordinator's NEXT step should be to:

Answer: Document the performance issues and escalate to functional management if needed

Proper escalation through HR and functional management ensures performance issues are handled fairly and in line with organizational policy.

Expert power in a team context is derived from:

Answer: A team member's specialized knowledge or skills that others rely on

Expert power is earned through demonstrated competence; people follow the advice of those who know more than they do.