Deck 13: Leading and Managing Project Teams

Question 1

All project teams progress uniformly through five stages of team development.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A project manager leads by placing the demands of the parent organization and the project above the needs of the project team members.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Project managers can further team development by securing agreement on common goals and objectives for the project.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

One important way to build team capacity is to create a desirable team identity.

Question 5

Many conflicts on projects have multiple causes.

Question 6

When many members of the project team disagree,then it may be best to delay the decision,gather more data,or agree to let one or two team members investigate and recommend a strategy for the whole team.

Question 7

When a decision needs to be made quickly or requires significant authority it is often useful to delegate the decision to one or two team members.

Question 8

The adoption of specific ground rules that specify acceptable and unacceptable behaviors can help prevent potential problems and improve working relationships,effectiveness,and communication.

Question 9

Great team synergy can make a team's capability better than the individual members' capabilities.

Question 10

Project manager strategies to promote organization,project and team member needs may vary from one stage of team development to another.

Question 11

The standard approach to making decisions on a project is to clearly and consistently vest decision making authority in the project manager.

Question 12

High-performing project teams will typically persevere despite challenges,produce high quality results and consistently meet or exceed stakeholder expectations.

Question 13

The ideal time to on-board core team members is to include them in the chartering process.

Question 14

Leadership within a project team should be demonstrated only by the project manager.

Question 15

Conflict over ideas on how to proceed with a project can lead to more creative approaches.

Question 16

The "relationship" topics within team ground rules,such as protect confidentiality and avoid misunderstandings,should eliminate the need for conflict management techniques.

Question 17

Information is power.Withholding or distorting project information is a viable and potentially useful approach to increase power for the project manager.

Question 18

The value of engaging a subject matter expert early in a project should be balanced against the potentially significant cost of paying for his or her expertise.

Question 19

When a project team member is not performing,rewards may not prove as effective as a coercive approach that threatens the team member with undesired consequences.

Question 20

Proactive project managers realize that conducting clear,succinct,one-way communication is a major key to their team's success.

Question 21

All of the following are advantages associated with assigning both core team members and subject matter experts to the project as soon as possible EXCEPT:

A) implementers are more motivated when they help create the plan
B) early assignment of SMEs to the project saves money
C) early assignment helps ensure team members are available when needed
D) plans are more realistic when those who will perform the work are involved in the planning

Question 22

Which of the following is among the widely accepted project team success factors?

A) effective communication including performance feedback
B) emphasis on the quality of project deliverables,without regard to cost
C) extreme risk taking strategies to maximize project gains
D) use of coercion to resolve conflicts and problems

Question 23

Project teams often adopt ground rules to address which of the following process topics?

A) manage customer's expectations
B) manage the firm's project management process
C) manage the firm's project reporting process
D) manage meetings

Question 24

Which of the following styles of handling conflict is most appropriate whenever there is enough time,trust can be established,the issue is important to both sides and buy-in is needed?

A) forcing / competing
B) smoothing / accommodating
C) compromising
D) collaborating / problem solving

Question 25

All of the following are among the types of capabilities that are useful for project team members EXCEPT:

A) activity-specific knowledge and skills
B) personal learning
C) insensitivity towards others
D) organizational understanding

Question 26

It is argued that project teams progress through five stages of team development.Which of the following sequences best represents this progression?

A) forming,norming,storming,performing,reforming
B) forming,storming,norming,performing,adjourning
C) forming,storming,norming,performing,reforming
D) forming,performing,reforming,norming,adjourning

Question 27

Project teams often adopt ground rules to address which of the following relationship topics?

A) manage sponsors and senior leaders
B) manage customers and clients
C) protect confidentiality
D) protect the project sponsor

Question 28

During which stage of team development do team members attempt to jockey for power,ask many questions and establish dubious goals?

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

Question 29

The negotiation process involves several steps such as: preparing for negotiation; knowing your walk-away point; and working towards a common goal.

Question 30

The personal values of team members on high-performing teams can be enhanced through all of the following beneficial communication practices EXCEPT:

A) free sharing of information within and beyond the team
B) open discussion of all important topics
C) proactive reporting of potential problems
D) encouragement of personal conflict

Question 31

High-performing teams include members who typically hold which of the following values?

A) a high need for achievement
B) a strict adherence to their personal points of view
C) a commitment to self-promotion
D) a strong need for authority

Question 32

All of the following are among the methods project managers can use to develop individual and team capabilities EXCEPT:

A) teach personal responsibility
B) demand situational leadership
C) utilize coercive powers
D) demonstrate personal leadership

Question 33

Reward power relies upon persuading others based upon giving them some form of reward.It is most appropriately used when:

A) a team member performs well.
B) when working with project sponsors.
C) others respect the project manager's opinion and expertise.
D) a team member is not performing

Question 34

All of the following are among the activities a project manager should undertake to develop a highly effective team EXCEPT:

A) assess sponsor capability
B) assess project team capability
C) establish team ground rules
D) assess individual member capability

Question 35

All of the following represent common methods for making decisions on contemporary project teams EXCEPT:

A) The project manager makes the decision.
B) One or two team members make the decision.
C) The project team votes to make the decision.
D) The sponsor is asked to make all of the decisions

Question 36

All of the following are among ground rules that have proven widely useful to project teams EXCEPT:

A) avoid conflict at all costs
B) consider at alternative by considering at least two approaches before proceeding
C) develop trust by doing work as promised and being truthful
D) use data when possible and gather facts rather than arguing over opinions

Question 37

Assembling the right quantity and variety of skills and experience for the project team can be quite challenging.One strategy is to staff the project with a combination of experienced and less experienced workers.All of the following are benefits associated with this approach EXCEPT:

A) It often costs less to use an inexperienced person.
B) The project manager can dominate the more junior team members
C) Mentoring within the team helps to achieve organizational learning.
D) The more experienced person can help to mentor the more junior person.

Question 38

The process of improving the competencies,team interaction,and the overall team environment to enhance project performance is known as:

A) Acquire project team
B) Develop project team
C) Connect project team
D) Manage project team interactions

Question 39

Frequently,project managers lack legitimate power based upon position and instead resort to persuading others based upon personal relationships.This type of power is known as:

A) coercive power
B) referent power
C) connection power
D) positional power

Question 40

The personal values of team members on high-performing teams can be enhanced through which of the following team behavior practices?

A) independent efforts and emphasis on the individual
B) constant focus on improvement
C) unilateral initiatives and personal competition
D) adherence to formal procedures

Question 41

Identify and describe five characteristics of a high-performing project team.

Question 42

Describe the beneficial aspects of conflict on a project and identify at least three of the six step conflict resolution process that a project manager can use.

Question 43

All of the following are among the steps of the negotiation process EXCEPT:

A) clarify both parties interests
B) work toward a common goal
C) use "good cop / bad cop" technique
D) clarify and confirm agreements

Question 44

All of the following are among the common task-related sources of project conflict EXCEPT:

A) schedule
B) project priorities
C) technical approach
D) personalities

Question 45

Describe at least three alternative approaches to decision making on a project team and describe when each is most appropriate.

Question 46

Describe at least three approaches that project managers can use to develop individuals and teams.