SEI Group Dynamics and Facilitation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Six Seconds principle best explains why a facilitator should share their own emotional reactions transparently with a group?
- Emotions are problems to be solved quickly
- Self-disclosure builds psychological safety and models emotional literacy (Correct answer)
- Facilitators should remain strictly neutral at all times
- Sharing feelings distracts from task objectives
Correct answer: Self-disclosure builds psychological safety and models emotional literacy
Transparent emotional self-disclosure models the Know Yourself competencies and signals to the group that emotional honesty is valued and safe.
Question 2: A team reports feeling demotivated despite clear goals and adequate resources. A Six Seconds facilitator would explore which dimension first?
- Whether goals are SMART enough
- The team's connection to intrinsic motivators and sense of purpose (Correct answer)
- Whether compensation structures are equitable
- The team's technical skill gaps
Correct answer: The team's connection to intrinsic motivators and sense of purpose
The Engage Intrinsic Motivation competency in Six Seconds recognizes that external rewards alone cannot sustain performance; meaning and internal drive are essential.
Question 3: When using SEI data to facilitate a team debrief, the recommended approach is to:
- Rank team members from highest to lowest EQ scores
- Use aggregate patterns to spark dialogue rather than single out individuals (Correct answer)
- Share individual scores publicly to promote accountability
- Withhold scores until performance improves
Correct answer: Use aggregate patterns to spark dialogue rather than single out individuals
Aggregating and exploring patterns creates psychological safety, inviting honest reflection rather than triggering defensive self-protection.
Question 4: In the Six Seconds three-step model, 'Choose Yourself' refers to:
- Selecting a personal identity distinct from the group
- Intentionally directing emotions and behaviors rather than reacting automatically (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing individual needs over group needs
- Choosing which emotions to suppress
Correct answer: Intentionally directing emotions and behaviors rather than reacting automatically
Choose Yourself is the self-direction domain where individuals move from reactive patterns to intentional, values-aligned responses.
Question 5: A facilitator working with a cross-functional team notices that members from different departments use different emotional vocabularies. Which SEI competency gap does this most likely reflect?
- Low Pursue Noble Goals
- Low Emotional Literacy / Recognize Patterns (Correct answer)
- Low Exercise Optimism
- Low Engage Intrinsic Motivation
Correct answer: Low Emotional Literacy / Recognize Patterns
Emotional Literacy and Recognize Patterns competencies enable individuals to accurately name and interpret emotions; limited vocabulary signals underdevelopment in these areas.
Question 6: Which facilitation strategy aligns BEST with the Six Seconds principle of 'being the change'?
- Creating strict agenda structures to control group behavior
- The facilitator consistently modeling the EQ competencies they wish to see in the group (Correct answer)
- Assigning emotional roles to different team members
- Evaluating participants on their emotional performance
Correct answer: The facilitator consistently modeling the EQ competencies they wish to see in the group
Six Seconds emphasizes that facilitators create change by embodying the competencies they wish to cultivate, acting as a living model for the group.
Question 7: A team's SEI results show a pattern of high 'Recognize Patterns' but low 'Navigate Emotions.' What facilitation challenge does this create?
- The team cannot identify emotional triggers
- The team is self-aware but struggles to shift out of unhelpful emotional states (Correct answer)
- The team ignores data in favor of instinct
- The team overestimates its own performance
Correct answer: The team is self-aware but struggles to shift out of unhelpful emotional states
High pattern recognition with low emotion navigation means members can see their emotional habits but lack the skills to change them constructively.
SEI Group Dynamics and Facilitation 3
Which Six Seconds principle best explains why a facilitator should share their own emotional reactions transparently with a group?