Practice Test Geeks(CSM) Certified Software Manager Practice Test
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Leadership & Team Management Flashcards

7 cards from real CSM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Leadership & Team Management flashcards as text

  1. A software manager is coaching an underperforming developer. Which coaching model uses the sequence: Goal, Reality, Options, Will (Way forward)?

    Answer: GROW model

    The GROW model is a structured coaching framework that guides coachees from goal-setting through reality assessment, option exploration, and commitment to action.

  2. Which approach to team building is MOST aligned with the concept of 'storming to norming' in Tuckman's model?

    Answer: Facilitating structured conflict resolution and role clarification sessions

    Structured facilitation helps teams work through the Storming phase productively, establishing norms and mutual understanding that characterize the Norming phase.

  3. A software manager is evaluating a team member using a 360-degree feedback process. What distinguishes this from a traditional top-down review?

    Answer: It collects feedback from peers, subordinates, and customers in addition to the manager

    360-degree feedback gathers multi-source input from everyone who works with the individual, providing a more complete and balanced view of their performance and behavior.

  4. Vroom's Expectancy Theory of motivation suggests that employee motivation is highest when:

    Answer: Employees believe effort leads to performance, which leads to valued rewards

    Vroom's theory holds that motivation results from the combination of Expectancy (effort→performance), Instrumentality (performance→outcome), and Valence (value of the outcome).

  5. When a software project enters a critical phase, a manager shifts from a participative to a more directive style. This adaptation is BEST described by which theory?

    Answer: Situational Leadership Theory

    Situational Leadership Theory (Hersey & Blanchard) prescribes adapting leadership style based on the task maturity and readiness of team members in each specific situation.

  6. A software team shows signs of 'groupthink.' Which management intervention is MOST effective in combating this?

    Answer: Appointing a designated 'devil's advocate' to challenge group consensus

    A designated devil's advocate formally challenges assumptions and consensus, encouraging critical evaluation that counteracts groupthink's suppression of dissent.

  7. A software manager must communicate a significant organizational change (layoffs in another department) to the team. What is the BEST approach?

    Answer: Share factual information transparently and address team concerns directly

    Transparent, timely communication of factual information builds trust and reduces anxiety more effectively than silence or deflection, which fuel rumors and erode credibility.