CTL Decision Making & Problem Solving 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Groupthink in team decision making is BEST prevented by:
- Appointing the most experienced member as the sole decision-maker
- Assigning a devil's advocate to challenge proposals (Correct answer)
- Limiting discussion time so members commit quickly
- Requiring unanimous agreement before proceeding
Correct answer: Assigning a devil's advocate to challenge proposals
A designated devil's advocate is tasked with critically questioning the group's assumptions, which counteracts the pressure to conform that causes groupthink.
Question 2: After implementing a solution, a team leader conducts a 'lessons learned' review. The PRIMARY benefit of this activity is to:
- Assign blame for what went wrong
- Improve the team's future problem-solving and decision-making processes (Correct answer)
- Satisfy a formal HR documentation requirement
- Justify the resources spent on the solution
Correct answer: Improve the team's future problem-solving and decision-making processes
Lessons learned sessions capture insights from both successes and failures to improve how the team approaches similar challenges in the future.
Question 3: A team leader must make a decision that will affect multiple departments. Including representatives from those departments in the process PRIMARILY:
- Slows down decision making unnecessarily
- Increases buy-in and surfaces information the leader may lack (Correct answer)
- Transfers accountability away from the leader
- Ensures compliance with organizational policy
Correct answer: Increases buy-in and surfaces information the leader may lack
Cross-functional involvement improves decision quality through diverse perspectives and increases commitment by giving stakeholders a voice.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes an affinity diagram's use in problem solving?
- It ranks solutions by financial return
- It organizes large amounts of ideas or data into natural groupings (Correct answer)
- It assigns probability scores to potential causes
- It schedules corrective actions on a timeline
Correct answer: It organizes large amounts of ideas or data into natural groupings
An affinity diagram groups related ideas or data points into themes, making complex problems easier to analyze and prioritize.
Question 5: A team leader's decision conflicts with her personal preference but aligns with the team's best interests and organizational goals. She should:
- Delay the decision until her personal preference changes
- Implement the decision that serves the team and organization (Correct answer)
- Seek a compromise that partially satisfies personal preference
- Escalate to management so they can make the decision
Correct answer: Implement the decision that serves the team and organization
Effective leaders prioritize team and organizational outcomes over personal preferences when making decisions.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a lagging indicator used when evaluating whether a problem-solving decision was effective?
- Number of root causes identified during analysis
- Error rate measured three months after solution implementation (Correct answer)
- Team confidence level before implementing the solution
- Number of solutions generated during brainstorming
Correct answer: Error rate measured three months after solution implementation
Lagging indicators measure outcomes after a change has been implemented, such as error rates tracked post-solution, confirming actual impact.
Question 7: When a problem-solving team cannot reach consensus, the team leader should MOST appropriately:
- Abandon the decision until consensus forms naturally
- Use a structured voting method to move forward while acknowledging dissent (Correct answer)
- Override all input and impose a unilateral decision without explanation
- Continue deliberating indefinitely to preserve team harmony
Correct answer: Use a structured voting method to move forward while acknowledging dissent
Structured voting (e.g., multi-voting or weighted voting) provides a fair, transparent path to a decision when consensus is unattainable within the required timeframe.
CTL Decision Making & Problem Solving 5
Groupthink in team decision making is BEST prevented by: