CTL Team Building & Motivation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A team leader observes that performance has plateaued despite members having adequate skills. According to expectancy theory, which factor is MOST likely causing this?
- Low instrumentality — members don't believe performance leads to rewards (Correct answer)
- High valence — the rewards are too attractive
- Low ability — skills are insufficient for the task
- High expectancy — members are overconfident
Correct answer: Low instrumentality — members don't believe performance leads to rewards
Expectancy theory's instrumentality component addresses the belief that performance will actually lead to desired outcomes; when this link is weak, motivation suffers.
Question 2: During a team offsite, one exercise reveals that members have very different conflict styles. What is the CTL best practice in response?
- Mandate a single conflict style for all team interactions
- Use the data to build awareness and agree on shared conflict resolution norms (Correct answer)
- Avoid conflict-related topics to maintain positive team energy
- Replace members who prefer avoidance styles
Correct answer: Use the data to build awareness and agree on shared conflict resolution norms
Awareness of diverse conflict styles, combined with agreed norms, builds a healthier team conflict culture without forcing conformity.
Question 3: Which of the following is a characteristic of a high-performing team as described in CTL frameworks?
- Members defer all decisions to the team leader
- Roles are ambiguous to allow flexibility
- Members trust each other and engage in productive conflict (Correct answer)
- Performance metrics are kept private from team members
Correct answer: Members trust each other and engage in productive conflict
High-performing teams exhibit trust, healthy debate, and mutual accountability, as outlined in Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions model.
Question 4: A team leader wants to sustain long-term motivation after an initial project success. Which strategy is MOST sustainable?
- Continue offering the same bonuses indefinitely
- Connect ongoing work to team members' personal development goals (Correct answer)
- Reduce workload permanently after the success
- Celebrate the success once and move on without further acknowledgment
Correct answer: Connect ongoing work to team members' personal development goals
Linking work to individual growth goals creates an ongoing motivational pull that outlasts one-time rewards.
Question 5: A team member from a collectivist cultural background appears reluctant to voice disagreement in group settings. What should a CTL-certified leader do?
- Dismiss the concern since team decisions are final once made
- Create alternative channels such as anonymous input or one-on-one check-ins (Correct answer)
- Ask the member to adapt to the dominant team culture
- Reduce the member's participation in decision-making
Correct answer: Create alternative channels such as anonymous input or one-on-one check-ins
Providing alternative input channels respects cultural differences while still capturing diverse perspectives for better team decisions.
Question 6: What does the term 'team charter' typically include that makes it valuable for team building?
- Only financial budget allocations for the project
- Shared purpose, norms, roles, and decision-making processes (Correct answer)
- The team leader's personal performance goals
- A list of prohibited behaviors with associated penalties
Correct answer: Shared purpose, norms, roles, and decision-making processes
A team charter captures the team's purpose, ground rules, roles, and processes, giving members a shared foundation from the start.
Question 7: Which motivational theory suggests that employees are motivated when they perceive their input-to-outcome ratio as fair compared to peers?
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
- Adams' Equity Theory (Correct answer)
- McClelland's Achievement Theory
- Alderfer's ERG Theory
Correct answer: Adams' Equity Theory
Adams' Equity Theory states that motivation is driven by perceived fairness of the ratio of one's contributions to outcomes versus others.
CTL Team Building & Motivation 4
A team leader observes that performance has plateaued despite members having adequate skills.
According to expectancy theory, which factor is MOST likely causing this?