CTL Conflict Resolution & Problem Solving 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A leader who uses the 'competing' conflict style excessively risks:
- Building too much team consensus
- Damaging relationships and suppressing valuable dissent (Correct answer)
- Resolving conflicts too slowly
- Losing authority over the team
Correct answer: Damaging relationships and suppressing valuable dissent
Over-relying on competition silences team members and erodes trust, reducing the quality of team decisions over time.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of establishing ground rules at the start of a conflict resolution meeting?
- To determine who is at fault before discussions begin
- To create a safe and structured environment for open dialogue (Correct answer)
- To limit the time each party can speak
- To document the conflict for HR records
Correct answer: To create a safe and structured environment for open dialogue
Ground rules set behavioral expectations that keep the conversation productive and ensure all participants feel safe to contribute.
Question 3: Which problem-solving step involves generating multiple potential solutions without evaluating them immediately?
- Problem definition
- Brainstorming (Correct answer)
- Solution selection
- Implementation planning
Correct answer: Brainstorming
Brainstorming deliberately separates idea generation from evaluation to encourage creativity and quantity of options.
Question 4: A team member refuses to participate in conflict resolution discussions. The team leader should:
- Proceed without them and implement a solution anyway
- Explain how their non-participation affects the team and listen to their reluctance (Correct answer)
- Report them to HR for insubordination
- Allow a peer to mediate instead of the leader
Correct answer: Explain how their non-participation affects the team and listen to their reluctance
Understanding the reason for reluctance may reveal a barrier the leader can address, increasing the likelihood of genuine participation.
Question 5: After implementing a conflict resolution agreement, what should a team leader do within two weeks?
- File the agreement and consider the matter closed
- Follow up with both parties to assess whether the agreement is working (Correct answer)
- Share the details of the agreement with the entire team
- Transfer one of the conflicting parties to another team
Correct answer: Follow up with both parties to assess whether the agreement is working
Follow-up ensures accountability and allows early correction if the resolution is not holding in practice.
Question 6: The '5 Whys' technique is primarily used to:
- Rank competing priorities by importance
- Drill down to the root cause of a problem by repeatedly asking 'why' (Correct answer)
- Evaluate the feasibility of proposed solutions
- Assign accountability for past mistakes
Correct answer: Drill down to the root cause of a problem by repeatedly asking 'why'
Each 'why' peels back a symptom to reveal deeper causes until the fundamental root cause is identified.
Question 7: When two high-performing team members disagree on the best technical approach, the collaboration style suggests the leader should:
- Choose the approach proposed by the more senior employee
- Facilitate a structured discussion where both approaches are tested against agreed criteria (Correct answer)
- Flip a coin to avoid showing favoritism
- Escalate the decision to the project sponsor
Correct answer: Facilitate a structured discussion where both approaches are tested against agreed criteria
Collaborative problem-solving uses objective criteria to evaluate options, respecting both contributors and reaching a higher-quality decision.
CTL Conflict Resolution & Problem Solving 3
A leader who uses the 'competing' conflict style excessively risks: