CSM Leadership & Team Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which decision-making model is MOST appropriate when a software manager needs a quick decision and team consensus is not feasible?
- Consensus decision-making
- Autocratic decision-making (Correct answer)
- Delphi technique
- Nominal group technique
Correct answer: Autocratic decision-making
Autocratic decision-making is appropriate in time-critical situations where the manager has sufficient information and speed is prioritized over buy-in.
Question 2: A software manager is preparing performance reviews. Which feedback model structures feedback as Situation-Behavior-Impact?
- SBI Model (Correct answer)
- STAR Model
- 360-degree feedback
- MBO (Management by Objectives)
Correct answer: SBI Model
The SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) model helps managers deliver specific, objective feedback by describing the context, the observed behavior, and its effect.
Question 3: When managing a geographically distributed software team across multiple time zones, which practice is MOST critical for maintaining cohesion?
- Requiring all team members to work the same hours
- Establishing clear communication protocols and overlapping core hours (Correct answer)
- Limiting communication to email only to create an audit trail
- Assigning all critical tasks to the team in the manager's time zone
Correct answer: Establishing clear communication protocols and overlapping core hours
Clear protocols and defined overlapping hours ensure all distributed team members can collaborate effectively without requiring unreasonable schedule changes.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes the role of a servant leader in a software organization?
- A leader who prioritizes their own career advancement above team needs
- A leader who removes obstacles and supports team members to help them succeed (Correct answer)
- A leader who delegates all decisions to avoid accountability
- A leader who focuses exclusively on technical quality metrics
Correct answer: A leader who removes obstacles and supports team members to help them succeed
Servant leadership, popularized by Robert Greenleaf, centers on the leader serving the team by clearing obstacles, providing resources, and enabling team success.
Question 5: A software manager wants to delegate a task to a team member. Which factor is LEAST relevant when choosing who to delegate to?
- The team member's current workload
- The team member's relevant skill set
- The team member's physical office location (Correct answer)
- The team member's interest in developing the skill
Correct answer: The team member's physical office location
Physical location is largely irrelevant to delegation decisions in modern software teams; workload, skills, and developmental interest are the primary considerations.
Question 6: In software team management, a 'RACI matrix' is used to:
- Track sprint velocity and story points
- Clarify roles and responsibilities for tasks and decisions (Correct answer)
- Measure code quality and technical debt
- Schedule release deployments
Correct answer: Clarify roles and responsibilities for tasks and decisions
A RACI matrix identifies who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task, eliminating role ambiguity on software projects.
Question 7: Which theory suggests that workers are motivated by higher-level needs such as self-actualization once basic needs are met?
- McGregor's Theory X
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Correct answer)
- Vroom's Expectancy Theory
- Adams' Equity Theory
Correct answer: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy proposes that motivation progresses from physiological and safety needs through social and esteem needs to self-actualization at the apex.
CSM Leadership & Team Management 3
Which decision-making model is MOST appropriate when a software manager needs a quick decision and team consensus is not feasible?