Deck 2: Professionalism: Team, Meeting, Listening, Nonverbal, and Etiquette Skills

Question 1

During a meeting Matthew and Jennifer get into an argument about how to prepare a proposal.What is the first step they should take to try to resolve this conflict?

A) Look for common ground.
B) Understand the other's point of view.
C) Listen carefully to make sure they understand the problem.
D) Show concern for the relationship.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Hannah has just been appointed to a committee and wants to be a positive member.Which of the following is the best advice you can give her?

A) Ignore members who are being silent to show respect for them.
B) Tell a lot of jokes throughout the meeting to ease tensions.
C) Share her ideas with other team members, even if they might not be adopted.
D) Hannah should do all of these.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A team must decide whether to adopt a new procedure for submitting expense claims.Team members have decided to continue their discussion until all team members have aired their opinions and, ultimately, agree.What method for reaching group decisions is this team using?

A) Majority
B) Consensus
C) Authority rule with discussion
D) Averaging

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Deborah will be leading a committee meeting and wants to make sure it is effective and efficient.What should Deborah do to get the meeting started?

A) Wait until all participants arrive before beginning the meeting.
B) Give a quick recap to anyone who arrives late.
C) Go over ground rules at the beginning of the meeting.
D) Deborah should do all of these.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of a soft skill?

A) Being able to work well as part of a team
B) Knowing how to engage in appropriate small talk at a business social function
C) Having good listening proficiency
D) All of these choices

Question 6

Sarah has agreed to be a team leader in her organization and wants to make sure that the team is ethically responsible.What advice would you give her?

A) Make sure that the team represents her organization's view.
B) Respect the organization's privileged information.
C) Avoid advocating actions that would endanger members of society at large.
D) Sarah should do all of these as team leader.

Question 7

Raymond has been appointed team leader of a group that will develop his company's five-year strategic plan.He wants to ensure that his team avoids groupthink.What should he do?

A) Choose team members with similar backgrounds.
B) Develop systematic procedures for the team to follow.
C) Demand that his team make decisions quickly.
D) Make sure his team knows what outcomes he favors.

Question 8

Eric is part of a team developing a new product idea aimed at a specific target market.Because team members are located throughout the country, they don't meet in person.Instead, they use communication technology to collaborate on the project.Because members use technology to stay connected, Eric is part of a

A) group.
B) cross-functional team.
C) virtual team.
D) self-directed team.

Question 9

Organizations form teams because teams are able to respond faster, demonstrate increased productivity, and

A) are used extensively in every culture.
B) are proficient in using technology.
C) experience less hostility among team members.
D) make better decisions.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about meeting agendas is most accurate?

A) An agenda of meeting topics should be distributed at least ten days before the meeting.
B) An agenda should include as many items as necessary to accomplish your purpose.
C) An agenda should not include an allotment of time for each agenda item because doing so can make a meeting too regimented.
D) The agenda should include any premeeting preparation expected of participants.

Question 11

A task force charged with reducing overhead costs meets to define their roles and responsibilities and ways to reach the group's goals.Tension is fairly high among group members.The team is in the ____ phase of team development.

A) forming
B) storming
C) norming
D) performing

Question 12

Alexandra knows that her soft skills will be evaluated during her job interview.Which of the following skills should she practice to prepare for her interview?

A) Shaking hands appropriately
B) Exhibiting posture that shows confidence and professionalism
C) Speaking clearly and giving concise answers to interview questions
D) All of these choices

Question 13

Select the most accurate statement about meetings.

A) Most people look forward to meetings.
B) Meetings should be viewed as opportunities to demonstrate leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
C) Because of advances in technology, the number of face-to-face business meetings is declining rapidly.
D) Meetings are an excellent way to communicate information that does not require immediate feedback.

Question 14

Allan manages the Human Resources Department for his company.The due dates for payroll reports will be changing slightly, and he needs to communicate this information to all company managers.Allan should

A) send an e-mail or text message to inform the management staff.
B) prepare an agenda and call a meeting.
C) consult key people to help him decide whether to call a meeting.
D) use the grapevine to convey the message.

Question 15

A team of top-level executives is rewriting the company's bylaws.Because this decision will have far-reaching and long-term effects, members want to have the most creative, high-quality discussion possible.What group decision-making method should they use?

A) Majority
B) Consensus
C) Authority rule with discussion
D) Averaging

Question 16

Tracey is planning a meeting to develop a new procedure for handling employee grievances.How many participants should she invite?

A) At least one representing each of the company's 16 departments
B) Five or fewer
C) Ten or fewer
D) 30 or fewer

Question 17

Which of the following statements about conflict is most accurate?

A) Conflict is a normal part of every workplace and every team.
B) Even when managed properly, conflict decreases group cohesiveness and increases tensions.
C) Conflict should be avoided because it destroys morale and reduces productivity.
D) Conflict is always negative.

Question 18

Nadia is putting together a team to brainstorm product development ideas.Because she wants her team to be successful, the team should

A) be as homogeneous as possible.
B) develop procedures to guide them.
C) avoid conflict.
D) be as large as possible, with at least ten members.

Question 19

The most effective groups and teams have members who are willing to

A) establish rules and abide by those rules.
B) do everything necessary to avoid conflict.
C) use e-mail and other technology to communicate.
D) let the group leader make all decisions.

Question 20

A committee has been formed to rewrite the company's mission statement.The committee members are just starting to get to know one another and are attempting to bond.What phase of team development are they experiencing?

A) Forming
B) Storming
C) Norming
D) Performing

Question 21

Select the most accurate statement about eye contact.

A) Communicators consider the eyes to be the most accurate predictor of a speaker's true feelings and attitudes.
B) Nonverbal cues, including eye contact, have identical meanings in most cultures.
C) Sustained eye contact signifies fear or stress.
D) Eye contact cannot be learned; it's an innate trait.

Question 22

Isabella has a habit of giving a thumbs-up sign every time she agrees with something.This functions as what type of nonverbal message?

A) To complement and illustrate
B) To replace and substitute
C) To control and regulate
D) To reinforce and accentuate

Question 23

Sandra is leading a meeting and wants to make sure that they stick to the agenda and end on time.What should she do to move the meeting along?

A) As the leader, she should say as much as possible during the meeting.
B) Generate a list of important but divergent topics that should be discussed later.
C) Not worry so much about time; the most important thing is to make sure that all agenda items are discussed fully.
D) Kick anyone out who monopolizes the conversation.

Question 24

Christina spends a lot of time listening to her colleagues during meetings.Because she must remember what they say, she is always careful to identify main ideas and recognize the purpose of their messages.Christina is engaging in

A) discriminative listening.
B) critical listening.
C) lag time.
D) efficiency listening.

Question 25

Miguel has been invited to attend his first sales meeting and wants to be an active and productive member from the very beginning.Which of the following should he do to make a good impression?

A) Keep his cell phone on so that he doesn't miss an important call during the meeting.
B) Come prepared to the meeting by doing any preliminary work required.
C) Use body language to show whether he's bored; the meeting leader will appreciate his honesty.
D) Wait to share his views after the meeting so that the meeting can move along efficiently.

Question 26

Which of the following statements about ending a meeting is most accurate?

A) The meeting should not end until all agenda items have been fully discussed.
B) If minutes are taken, they should be distributed at the next meeting.
C) Because all participants should be responsible for paying attention during the meeting, a summary at the end of the meeting would be a waste of time.
D) No one should leave the meeting without a full understanding of what was accomplished.

Question 27

Elizabeth will be taking charge of her first virtual meeting.What should she do to make sure all participants are collaborating successfully during the meeting?

A) Use complex language to get her points across.
B) When presenting, she should project an upbeat, enthusiastic, strong voice.
C) Do most of the talking to reduce confusion.
D) Ask leading questions such as "Does everyone agree?" to keep the meeting moving along.

Question 28

Several factors may cause poor listening habits.Which of the following is not one of these factors?

A) Lack of training
B) Large number of competing sounds and stimuli in our lives
C) Physical hearing disability
D) Ability to process speech faster than others can speak

Question 29

Angelina uses her computer to access an online meeting room where she takes part in meetings with her department members.In this meeting room, participants are able to present PowerPoint slides and Word documents, share spreadsheets, demonstrate products, visit Web pages, and use a white board.Angelina and her colleagues are using what type of collaboration technology?

A) Audioconferencing
B) Web conferencing
C) Instant messaging
D) A blog

Question 30

Jonathan was just hired as a human resources assistant and wants to make a good impression in his new position.What should he do when listening to his supervisor?

A) Don't ask questions because doing so may make him look ignorant.
B) Show his interest by leaning forward and striving for good eye contact.
C) Feel free to answer the phone if he receives a call to show how busy he is.
D) Rely on his memory for the details rather than take notes to show how sharp he is.

Question 31

In listening to nonnative speakers in the workplace, you should not show impatience, finish sentences, judge accented speech negatively, or

A) correct grammar and pronunciation.
B) smile or maintain eye contact.
C) tell the speaker you're having trouble understanding,
D) all of these choices.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about listening to customers is least accurate?

A) Listening to customers can result in increased sales and profitability.
B) Companies should hire employees who already possess good listening skills because training employees in this area is usually ineffective.
C) As the U.S. economy becomes increasingly service oriented, customer service becomes even more important.
D) Listening can be a strong customer acquisition and retention tool.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about virtual meetings is most accurate?

A) Virtual meetings are rare in today's workplace.
B) It is almost impossible to exchange ideas, brainstorm, build consensus, or develop personal relationships virtually.
C) Two of the most significant reasons for the shift to virtual meetings are saving travel costs and reducing employee fatigue.
D) Virtual meetings are generally held to coordinate team activities but not for any other purposes.

Question 34

Cameron is a customer service representative and has just gone through training to improve his listening skills.Which of the following skills was he most likely taught that will make him a better listener?

A) Mentally criticize grammar, voice, tone, and speaking style to get a better sense of what the customer is like.
B) If you already know what the answer is, you can tune out some of what the customer is saying.
C) Remain silent for a few seconds after a customer finishes to be sure the thought is completed.
D) Because listening is automatic, you can divide your attention among two or more tasks to be more productive.

Question 35

Devon is responsible for planning a virtual meeting.What should he do before the meeting takes place to ensure that it is productive?

A) Make sure the technology being used is accessible to all meeting participants.
B) Set the meeting time using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
C) Encourage members to log on 15 minutes early.
D) Devon should do all of these.

Question 36

Jose is describing his new iPhone and uses his thumb and forefinger to demonstrate how thin it is.Jose's action functions to

A) complement and illustrate.
B) replace and substitute.
C) control and regulate the situation.
D) contradict.

Question 37

Which of the following is not a form of nonverbal communication?

A) The appearance of a business document
B) Showing up late for a job interview
C) The adjectives used in a sales letter
D) Raising one's voice when angry or frustrated

Question 38

Molly wants to become a better listener in the workplace.Which of the following is the best technique she can do to improve her listening skills?

A) Don't maintain direct eye contact because doing so may distract the speaker.
B) Interrupt whenever she has an opinion on the topic to share with her speaker.
C) Rephrase and summarize the speaker's message in her own words.
D) Avoid asking any questions because doing so may distract the speaker.

Question 39

Which of the following statements about listening is most accurate?

A) Listening is a hard skill that employers seek when looking for well-rounded candidates who can be hired and promoted.
B) Three quarters of high-quality communication involves listening.
C) Everyone knows how to listen because listening is an automatic response to noise.
D) Listening skills become less important as one moves up the career ladder.

Question 40

Experts say that we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand

A) less than 10 percent of everything we hear.
B) 25 percent of everything we hear.
C) 50 percent of everything we hear.
D) 75 percent of everything we hear.

Question 41

Daniel will be starting a new job soon and wants to exhibit proper business etiquette in his new workplace.What is the best advice you can give him?

A) Agree with everyone with whom he interacts.
B) Talk about his personal relationships and finances as a way to appear human and to establish relationships with other employees.
C) Send written thank-you notes to express sincere appreciation and praise.
D) Tell as many jokes as possible to put his colleagues at ease.

Question 42

Bethany's team is experiencing considerable conflict and tension as they get used to working with one another.They are most likely in the storming phase of team development.

Question 43

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about casual apparel in the workplace?

A) Casual dress has become the norm in today's workplace.
B) Casual dress policies have led to reduced productivity and lax behavior in some workplaces.
C) If you're competent, it doesn't matter what you wear.
D) When meeting customers, dress down to make them feel superior.

Question 44

Teams should strive to achieve groupthink to ensure that all team members agree.

Question 45

Many companies are turning to teams to innovate, share knowledge, and solve problems.

Question 46

Which of the following statements about manners and business etiquette is most accurate?

A) Good manners and professional demeanor are hard skills that employers value in employees.
B) Because you aren't born with the ability to be courteous, civil, and professional, learning these skills is difficult.
C) Employers are more likely to hire and promote someone who is courteous and professional.
D) All of these choices are accurate statements.

Question 47

Soft skills aren't required in technical fields such as accounting and finance.

Question 48

Some teams never reach the final stage of team development of performing.

Question 49

When following the six-step pattern for dealing with conflict, the first thing you should do is look for common ground.

Question 50

Kelly is about to start her first full-time job after earning her degree and wants to appear as professional as possible.What advice would you give her?

A) Change her current e-mail address, which is [e-mail], to something more businesslike.
B) Use her cell phone only when conversations can be private.
C) Avoid texting during meetings.
D) All of these choices will help Kelly appear more professional.

Question 51

Which of the following is an effective way to improve your nonverbal communication skills?

A) Ignore facial expressions and body language; instead, focus only on the verbal message.
B) Ask friends and family members to give you feedback on your nonverbal behavior.
C) Try to avoid associating with people from diverse cultures since you might misunderstand their nonverbal messages.
D) All of these choices.

Question 52

Which of the following sends the least positive nonverbal message?

A) An employee wears clothing to work that covers her tattoos.
B) A job candidate arrives for an interview dressed in a conservative charcoal gray business suit.
C) An employee sends an e-mail message to her colleagues that contains several misspellings and grammatical errors.
D) A job candidate uses a high-quality printer to make copies of her résumé and cover letter.

Question 53

Generally, teams are able to respond more quickly when solving a problem.

Question 54

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about etiquette and civility in today's workplace?

A) Etiquette is not as important in today's fast-paced, high-tech offices.
B) Most people don't mind rudeness or poor manners because they make the workplace more interesting.
C) Bad manners and incivility are rare in today's workplace.
D) Etiquette is more about attitude than about formal rules of behavior.

Question 55

When your department head Ms.Kruse arranges chairs informally in a circle during a meeting, what kind of message is she sending?

A) A nonverbal message that she is encouraging an open, egalitarian exchange of ideas
B) A nonverbal message that she prefers to be separated from others
C) A nonverbal and verbal message regarding her aloofness and preference for restricted communication
D) A verbal message that she is wary of visitors and indifferent to communication

Question 56

Conflict is a normal part of every workplace and every team.

Question 57

Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication is the least accurate?

A) Very few people can control their facial expressions well enough to control the nonverbal messages they send.
B) Standing up straight can make a person look arrogant.
C) The way you organize your office tells others something about you and your objectives.
D) Arriving late repeatedly to meetings can communicate that you are self-centered or have little self-discipline.

Question 58

Oral and written communication skills, listening proficiency, nonverbal behavior, and etiquette expertise are all examples of hard skills.

Question 59

Which of the following is the best advice for sending professional e-mails on the job?

A) Use complete sentences and proper punctuation.
B) Use IM abbreviations to make your messages more concise.
C) Check grammar and spelling only when sending external messages to save time and increase productivity.
D) Use a lot of exclamation points to show your enthusiasm.

Question 60

Negative team behaviors include actions such as putting down the ideas and suggestions of others, insulting or criticizing others, wasting time, making inappropriate comments, and withdrawing.

Question 61

Sharon is listening to her colleague and must judge and evaluate what he is saying.She is listening to decide whether her colleague's message is fact, fiction, or opinion.Sharon is engaging in discriminative listening.

Question 62

Unlike in face-to-face meetings, ground rules are not needed in virtual meetings.

Question 63

Teams are most effective when individual members are able to compete with one another.

Question 64

Avoid taking notes during a presentation or lecture because doing so can cause you to miss something.

Question 65

Diverse teams can usually produce innovative solutions with broader applications than more homogeneous (similar)teams.

Question 66

A good agenda includes any premeeting preparation expected of participants.

Question 67

When listening to nonnative speakers, always correct their grammar and pronunciation immediately to help them improve their language skills.

Question 68

Audioconferencing combines video, audio, and communications networking technologies for real-time interaction.

Question 69

You are chairing a meeting where two participants are in disagreement.The best method to resolve this conflict is to encourage each to make a complete case while group members give their full attention.

Question 70

A method of group decision making where group members bargain and negotiate to reach a middle ground is known as consensus.

Question 71

As meeting leader, Orhan should wait until all participants arrive before starting the meeting.

Question 72

Most of us listen at only 25 percent efficiency.

Question 73

Soft skills such as listening, writing, and speaking are most likely to determine hiring and career success.

Question 74

Good listening skills are needed for employees at every level.

Question 75

Today's communication technologies allow employees to exchange ideas, brainstorm, build consensus, and develop personal relationships virtually.

Question 76

Listening on the job is more challenging than listening in a college classroom.

Question 77

Listening to customers usually results in increased sales and profitability, as well as improved customer retention.

Question 78

The real expense of a meeting is the lost productivity of all the people attending.

Question 79

A major problem with virtual meetings is that words and tone can be easily misinterpreted.

Question 80

If you are an entry-level employee, you will probably be most concerned with listening to superiors.