CTL Communication & Feedback 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A team leader notices a high-performing employee has become disengaged. Which feedback approach is most appropriate?
- Send an email outlining performance concerns
- Schedule a private one-on-one to explore root causes before giving feedback (Correct answer)
- Address the issue in the next team meeting to set expectations
- Document the behavior and wait to see if it self-corrects
Correct answer: Schedule a private one-on-one to explore root causes before giving feedback
Private one-on-ones allow leaders to explore underlying causes of disengagement before delivering feedback, preserving dignity and gathering context.
Question 2: When using the SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) feedback model, what does the 'B' component require?
- Describing the employee's attitude
- Citing a specific observable behavior without interpretation (Correct answer)
- Benchmarking against team averages
- Brainstorming corrective actions together
Correct answer: Citing a specific observable behavior without interpretation
The Behavior component requires describing only observable, specific actions rather than inferences or personality judgments.
Question 3: A team member frequently dominates virtual meetings, talking over others. The best first step is to:
- Remove the team member from future meetings
- Establish and communicate clear meeting norms for turn-taking (Correct answer)
- Allow the behavior since virtual meetings are informal
- Ask other team members to complain formally
Correct answer: Establish and communicate clear meeting norms for turn-taking
Establishing clear meeting norms sets shared expectations and addresses the root issue without singling out one person.
Question 4: Which communication channel is MOST effective for delivering complex, emotionally sensitive feedback?
- Group email to maintain transparency
- Instant message for quick delivery
- Face-to-face or video call for full nonverbal cues (Correct answer)
- Formal written memo for documentation purposes
Correct answer: Face-to-face or video call for full nonverbal cues
Sensitive feedback requires rich communication channels like face-to-face or video that convey tone, empathy, and nonverbal signals.
Question 5: A leader consistently uses 'you' statements during feedback sessions. What is the likely consequence?
- Employees feel empowered and take ownership
- Recipients become defensive, reducing receptivity to feedback (Correct answer)
- Feedback becomes more specific and actionable
- Team morale improves due to directness
Correct answer: Recipients become defensive, reducing receptivity to feedback
'You' statements often feel accusatory, triggering defensiveness and reducing the effectiveness of feedback conversations.
Question 6: During a feedback conversation, an employee responds with silence. The leader should:
- Repeat the feedback more loudly and clearly
- Fill the silence immediately with additional criticism
- Allow a comfortable pause and invite the employee to share their perspective (Correct answer)
- Conclude the meeting and schedule a follow-up
Correct answer: Allow a comfortable pause and invite the employee to share their perspective
Silence often indicates processing; pausing and inviting response shows respect and encourages honest dialogue.
Question 7: Which principle best describes 'feed-forward' as opposed to traditional feedback?
- Reviewing past mistakes in detail to prevent recurrence
- Providing suggestions for future improvement rather than dwelling on past errors (Correct answer)
- Offering positive reinforcement after every task completion
- Collecting upward feedback from subordinates
Correct answer: Providing suggestions for future improvement rather than dwelling on past errors
Feed-forward focuses on future possibilities and actionable suggestions rather than analyzing past failures.
CTL Communication & Feedback 2
A team leader notices a high-performing employee has become disengaged.
Which feedback approach is most appropriate?