Deck 8: Process Intervention Skills

Question 1

It is not unusual at all for groups to have both formal and informal leaders.In fact,it is common for the leadership function to be shared by a number of group members.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Coaching and counseling are normally not appropriate interventions for a manager to make.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Process interventions are defined as helping the organization members understand and act upon events that occur in their environment in order to improve the situation as defined by the members.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The manager using process interventions helps the group make decisions by resolving any tie votes.

Question 5

Group consensus is the ideal method for a group to use in decision making.It,however,is one of the most difficult methods that can be used by a group to reach a decision.

Question 6

Process skills,because of their delicate and personal nature,should be used only by the manager or practitioner and not group members.

Question 7

The feelings of the speaker are rarely expressed in words but are often communicated by the tone of voice,body posture,and facial expression.It is therefore important for the practitioner using process skills to use these clues in listening.

Question 8

A process intervention sometimes uses a sociogram to keep a record of who talks to whom.

Question 9

Group task functions include member behaviors that directly help the group solve its task.

Question 10

The roles group members act out will typically be carefully planned and designated before a group meeting.The responsibility for making sure group members adhere to their roles lies with the practitioner using process skills.

Question 11

Process interventions are varied but the interventions never involve the practitioner in the task of the group.

Question 12

A new role of a manager will include having the ability to help the team become better aware of how it operates.

Question 13

Process skills are primarily used during the diagnostic stage of the OD program.

Question 14

Effective groups are able to identify problems,examine possible actions,and make decisions.

Question 15

One of the better methods to learn how to give process observations is through observing someone else giving process observations.

Question 16

Group-building and maintenance functions include behaviors that satisfy the individual needs of a group member and are inconsequential to the task of the group.

Question 17

The practitioner using process skills should make an effort to avoid helping the group understand the impact that leadership styles have upon the group.

Question 18

Group norms are usually dysfunctional as they inhibit members from expressing themselves honestly.As a result,poorer quality group decisions are made.

Question 19

Nonverbal communication should not be used in process interventions as this type of communication is not as specific as the words a speaker uses.

Question 20

An example of a process skill is to reflect feelings back to the speaker such as,"You seem disturbed by what has been said."

Question 21

What area(s)does the manager or practitioner using process interventions deal with that are crucial to effective organization performance?

A)leadership styles of group members
B)communications processes within a group
C)group norms and whether they are helpful or dysfunctional
D)roles which individual members play in a group
E)all of the above

Question 22

In analyzing communication processes within a group,a manager _____.

A)tries to control who talks to whom
B)makes a diligent effort to make sure no one is interrupted
C)sometimes makes a record of who talks to whom
D)makes sure all members make eye contact with one another
E)all of the above

Question 23

Process interventions are widely used by OD practitioners though their use by managers and leaders has rarely been reported.

Question 24

The results of process interventions have been well documented largely because of the relative ease of measuring results associated with this type of intervention.

Question 25

An example of a clarifying response is,"_____".

A)Marc,you seem to be upset by what Lois has said.
B)Leslie,do I understand you correctly to say...?
C)Has everyone noticed how all of us have gotten interested over Mario's suggestion?
D)It seems to me that the meeting has been very productive today.
E)all of the above

Question 26

The leadership functions in an effective group _____.

A)will probably be shared
B)rests with the formal leader
C)should be given to a different person at each meeting
D)will probably not exist
E)requires a strong,authoritative person

Question 27

Which of the following areas does an OD practitioner using process interventions NOT participate?

A)making group decisions
B)understanding the impact of leadership styles
C)helping group members understand how they make decisions
D)observing patterns of communications
E)helping the group make decisions by conducting fair voting on group decisions

Question 28

Process interventions can best be defined as _____.

A)a set of activities the practitioner can use to better diagnose the client's problems
B)the practitioner helping the client to understand and act upon process events
C)a method used by most practitioners to make better decisions for the client
D)a set of data collection techniques such as a survey or questionnaire
E)answers a and c

Question 29

When a manager makes a structural suggestion,he or she puts forward ideas on how the work flow can be organized.

Question 30

Group consensus as a method for making group decisions _____.

A)is the same thing as majority rule
B)results in a decision that all members can support
C)is not effective
D)is relatively easy to obtain
E)is normally obtained when the formal leader exercises enough power and influence

Question 31

In acting the playboy,_____.

A)a group member shows a lack of involvement through horseplay and cynicism
B)one calls attention to their self through telling stories about their accomplishments
C)a member seeks information from other members
D)a member is trying to take the leadership away from the practitioner using process skills
E)a member is harmonizing and compromising other's behavior in order to better develop their ideas

Question 32

One of the purposes of process interventions is to _____.

A)solve the problem in the briefest period of time
B)develop the best possible technical solution to the problem
C)help the work group learn to identify and solve its own problems
D)obtain as much technical information as possible about the problem
E)answers b and d

Question 33

Process interventions when used by a manager or leader _____.

A)help a work group to learn to diagnose and solve its own problems
B)solve the problem for the group
C)should be used only in the diagnostic phase of an OD program
D)have been carefully researched and shown to be statistically effective
E)both c and d

Question 34

The objective of process interventions is for the manager or practitioner to be as open and honest with the group members as possible,even though they may not always be ready or willing to listen to the manager or practitioner.

Question 35

Example(s)of maintenance functions include _____.

A)seeking and giving opinions
B)asking questions of clarification
C)testing for group consensus
D)harmonizing and encouraging
E)suggesting the goal of the group

Question 36

By group members understanding their own norms,they _____.

A)know how valuable a formal leader can be
B)can reach decisions in less time
C)can better use member talents
D)do not need to practice listening
E)can effectively remove disagreements among group members

Question 37

When a group member asks questions of clarification and seeks information,he or she is performing a(n)_____ function.

A)maintenance
B)initial
C)task
D)problem-solving
E)investigative

Question 38

Content and process can be contrasted in that _____.

A)process emphasizes the correctness of a group decision and content emphasizes the physical location of the group when the decision was made
B)process is when the group does their work and content is what the group does
C)content is specific information about a group and process is general information
D)content is the process of group behavior
E)content is what a group does and process is the how the group does their work

Question 39

Member behaviors that directly help the group solve its problem _____.

A)include harmonizing and compromising behavior
B)are maintenance functions
C)are not appropriate member roles
D)should be practiced primarily by the formal leader
E)are referred to as task functions

Question 40

Which of the following is least involved with process interventions?

A)leadership
B)member roles
C)group problem solving
D)analyzer-style practitioner
E)communication

Question 41

Which of the following about process interventions is FALSE?

A)The manager should avoid taking over the meetings.
B)An objective is to help the group members become active participants in solving their own problems.
C)It is one of the most widely used OD practitioner skills.
D)Process interventions should be used primarily by a trained OD practitioner.
E)An objective of process interventions is to help the group become aware of how it operates.

Question 42

Explain the five areas of group process that process interventions deal with.

Question 43

Process interventions involve which one of the following?

A)encouraging the listener to speak concisely
B)feeding back the feeling and content of the speaker
C)listening and feeding back the precise message
D)telling the speaker how to improve his or her delivery
E)answers a and d

Question 44

How do task and maintenance functions differ?

Question 45

Which of the following practice is used in process interventions?

A)selective perception
B)presenting judgments to the speaker
C)providing methods of improvement to the speaker
D)telling the speaker how to solve the problem
E)empathizing with the speaker

Question 46

It is important for the manager or practitioner to reflect back feelings to the speaker as it _____.

A)builds positive relations with the speaker
B)allows the practitioner to suggest better ways for the speaker to handle his or her problems
C)improves the speaker's public speaking ability
D)helps the speaker to learn to solve his or her problems
E)answers c and d

Question 47

To make effective process interventions,the practitioner may _____.

A)not say anything and let the group develop their own working relationships
B)allow the group to avoid looking at process issues
C)require the group to stop work every half hour to deal with process issues
D)set up a meeting in which only process issues are discussed
E)encourage the group to deal only with content issues

Question 48

Feedback of observations may occur _____.

A)during the meeting and at the time of the observation
B)to individuals so the entire team can benefit from the observation
C)any time the manager believes that it is important to correct inappropriate team or individual behavior
D)all of the above
E)answers b and c

Question 49

In feeding back process observations,the practitioner _____.

A)should remember to be honest and give the group all the feedback that has been obtained
B)should share all relevant information with the group
C)should act as an expert and present the information as the practitioner sees it
D)will need to make the group feel good
E)should be assured the client is ready for the feedback

Question 50

The types of process interventions that may be used include _____.

A)reflecting feelings
B)providing instructions on how to do a task
C)practicing democratic principles by taking a vote to determine how the group will decide
D)all of the above
E)none of the above