Q&A Hero

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ____________________ skills, such as the ability to prepare an income statement or a spreadsheet, refer to the technical skills in your field.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: A meeting ____________________, which is distributed in advance of a meeting, lists date and place of the meeting, start time and end time, topics to be discussed, time allocated to each topic, and any premeeting preparation expected of participants.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Conflicting noises and conversations are examples of ________________ distractions that you should try to block out in order to listen effectively.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: During the ____________________ stage of team development, members define their roles and responsibilities, decide how to reach their goals, and iron out the rules governing how they interact. Unfortunately, this stage often produces conflict.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Teams may reach a decision by ____________________, which requires that discussion continues until all members have aired their opinions and, ultimately, agree.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Our __________________, such as leaning toward a speaker or sitting upright during an interview, can convey much about usfrom self-confidence to shyness.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ___________ listening is necessary when you must discern, understand, and remember. It means you must identify main ideas, understand a logical argument, and recognize the purpose of the message

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: According to the zones of social interaction, North Americans are generally comfortable with only close friends and family standing within 1 1/2 feet from them; this amount of space is called the _________________ zone.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: _______________ rage and cyberbullying are examples of workplace incivility.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Rephrasing and summarizing a speaker's message in your own words is called __________.

Q: Employees who have job tasks spread out across multiple teams and dont always work with the same people or report to the same manager are working as part of _______ teams.a. ad hocb. matrixedc. gigd. hyperconnected

Q: Elizabeth 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. Elizabeth is engaging in _______. a. discriminative listening b. critical listening c. lag time d. supportive listening

Q: A working group was formed to rewrite the companys mission statement. The members have been meeting for quite some time. They are extremely loyal to one another and have figured out how to solve any conflicts that might arise. Information is flowing freely, they are happy with their results, and they will soon meet the deadline set by management. What phase of team development are they experiencing? a. Forming b. Storming c. Norming d. Performing

Q: 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. You should never express disagreement with a coworker.

Q: Gwen 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. Say as much as possible during the meeting. b. Move divergent topics to a separate list to 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. Ask anyone who monopolizes the conversation to leave.

Q: Which of the following statements about facial expressions and posture is the most accurate? a. Most people can control their facial expressions well enough to control the nonverbal messages they send. b. Standing up straight sends a message of confidence, competence, diligence, and strength. c. Words carry more weight than facial expressions and posture. d. Leaning toward a speaker suggests confrontation.

Q: 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. When team conflict arises, it should be ignored rather than confronted.

Q: Brent will be leading a committee meeting and wants to make sure it is effective and efficient. What should Brent 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. Limit each topic to five minutes.

Q: Which of the following statements most closely reflects an attitude of etiquette? a. People must treat others nicely in order to keep their jobs. b. Most people don't mind rudeness or poor manners because they know that work is demanding. c. A list of rules of etiquette posted in a workplace would be offensive to most people. d. Most of us like to work in a pleasant environment where people feel comfortable and valued.

Q: Can you please explain more about ...? is an example of a(n) ________ question. a. judgmental b. close-ended c. clarifying d. conversational

Q: Businesses form teams because teams make better decisions, respond faster, and _______. a. demonstrate increased productivity b. are proficient in using technology c. are able to avoid conflict d. are used extensively in every culture

Q: Which of the following is an example of a so-called "soft" skill? a. Working well as part of a team b. Knowing how to prepare financial statements c. Having experience using various software packages d. Being able to analyze marketing data

Q: Which of the following is a typical ground rule for virtual meetings? a. Providing a detailed agenda b. Limiting the meeting participant list c. Asking participants not to multitask during the meeting d. Ending the meeting with a recap of action items

Q: For an upcoming team progress meeting, Sarah wants to optimize discussion by asking open-ended questions. Which of the following is an example of such a question? a. Will one additional meeting be sufficient to resolve the remaining few issues? b. Are we ready to have the marketing team review our progress so far? c. What are some steps we can take to ensure our continued success on the project? d. Is Tuesday or Thursday best for our next meeting?

Q: Renzo uses his computer to access an online meeting room where he takes part in meetings with his 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. Renzo and his colleagues are using what type of collaboration technology? a. Audioconferencing b. Web conferencing c. Instant messaging d. Blogging

Q: Richard is attending an important board meeting with his colleagues to discuss future plans for the company. Many ideas are being presented, and Richard is carefully judging and evaluating what he is hearing. He is also listening to decide whether the speakers message is fact, fiction, or opinion. Richard is engaging in _______. a. discriminative listening b. critical listening c. lag time d. supportive listening

Q: Which of the following is the most accurate statement about your workplace appearance and attire? a. When building your workplace wardrobe, buy as many outfits as possible. 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. To make yourself stand out in the workplace, wear flashy garments and clunky jewelry.

Q: When a speaker's nonverbal cues contradict the verbal message, responding with statements like I'm not sure I understand or Please tell me more about ... are ways to _______. a. express disapproval b. reduce conflict c. probe for more information d. take control of the conversation

Q: Michela 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. 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.

Q: Lindsay 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. All employees so that no one feels excluded c. Five or fewer d. Ten or fewer

Q: To operate ethically, teams should represent the organization's view, respect its privileged information, and ________. a. avoid advocating actions that would negatively affect members of society b. keep company profit and revenue as their primary focus c. discuss opinions and problems outside of formal team meetings d. limit team size to five or fewer members

Q: Which of the following has resulted from the prominence of virtual teams? a. The amount of face-to-face contact has increased. b. Work is increasingly viewed as what you do rather than a place you go. c. Workplace diversity has decreased. d. Workers have to spend more time at the office.

Q: Effective teams avoid groupthink by striving for team diversity, encouraging open discussion, and ________. a. avoiding discussions about implementation b. not demanding a quick decision c. forming teams largely of older employees d. collecting and evaluating only information that supports their opinions

Q: 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. An agenda should include any premeeting preparation expected of participants.

Q: Which of the following zones of personal interaction suggests a distance of 1 1/2 to 4 feet when interacting with coworkers? a. Intimate zone b. Personal zone c. Social zone d. Public zone

Q: 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. keep their opinions to themselves d. let the group leader make the decisions

Q: Which is the most accurate statement about nonverbal communication? a. All nonverbal communication is unintentional. b. Nonverbal communication refers only to body language. c. A nonverbal message is always accompanied by spoken words. d. Nonverbal messages in some situations speak louder than the words spoken.

Q: Peter was just hired as an accounting 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. Answer his cell phone if it rings to show that he is an effective multitasker. d. Rely on his memory for the details rather than take notes to show how sharp he is.

Q: Etiquette expertise, effective nonverbal messages, and oral communication skills are all examples of _______. a. soft skills b. hard skills c. workplace challenges d. skill gaps

Q: To foster team collaboration rather than competition, members should have a genuine interest in achieving team goals rather than individual recognition, contribute ideas and feedback unselfishly, and ________. a. evaluate each individual team member's contributions on a weekly or monthly basis b. monitor team progress, including both what's going right and what's going wrong c. leave ground rules undefined to allow for flexibility d. rotate the role of team leader

Q: An interview committee must decide which interviewee to hire as the companys new project manager. Committee members have decided to vote and then hire the candidate receiving the most votes. What method for reaching group decisions is this team using? a. Majority b. Consensus c. Authority rule with discussion d. Averaging

Q: Which of the following statements about listening is most accurate? a. Listening is a hard skill that can determine hiring and career success. 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.

Q: 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.

Q: Select the most accurate statement about meetings. a. Most people regard meetings as favorable and productive. b. Meetings should be viewed as opportunities to demonstrate leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. c. Employees at the management level generally attend fewer meetings than workers at lower levels in an organization. d. Meetings are an excellent way to communicate information that does not require immediate feedback.

Q: Sincerely striving to understand others viewpoints, also known as _______ listening, is the most effective form of listening. a. critical b. discriminative c. empathetic d. inquisitive

Q: What is the most accurate statement about workplace teams? a. Team members are less resistant to change if they are part of the decision making. b. Decisions reached by teams usually get less buy-in than decisions reached individually. c. Effective teams often take longer to solve problems. d. Team members experience greater individual risk.

Q: Which of the following statements about time and space is the most accurate? a. Arriving late to a meeting shows that you are an important, busy person. b. Punctuality is valued and respected all over the world. c. How we structure and use time tells observers about our personality and attitudes. d. Generally, the more formal the arrangement of furniture in an office or meeting room, the more open the communication environment.

Q: Dean's supervisor is providing detailed information about how to proceed with a new project. To retain the most information and show his seriousness about understanding the task, Dean should _______. a. interrupt at each point that he has a question b. share his own ideas for a better approach to the project c. ask the supervisor to follow up with an e-mail repeating the information d. take selective notes during the conversation

Q: Typical ground rules for meetings include communicating openly, being supportive, listening carefully, participating fully, following the agenda, and ________. a. limiting the number of questions each person will ask b. confronting conflict frankly c. allowing cell phone use for multitasking d. inviting guests from other departments

Q: One potential downside of teamwork is the possibility of _______ resulting from constant interaction, which can inflate workloads and cause employees to fall behind. a. close-ended discussions b. groupthink c. matrixed teams d. collaborative overload

Q: People trained in listening to customers ______. a. give few, if any, verbal responses b. interrupt frequently to share their knowledge c. try to understand the nuances of meanings plus the facts d. focus primarily on facts and specific bits of information

Q: The physical zones of privacy in which we feel comfortable with others relate to which external element of the communication process? a. Time b. Space c. Territory d. Appearance

Q: Katelyn is in charge of a department meeting, and two of her colleagues are in conflict about a specific issue. What should Katelyn do? a. Make both employees leave the meeting until they can calm down. b. Send both employees to counseling. c. Encourage each to make a complete case while group members give their full attention. d. Have both employees move to a corner so that the rest can continue the meeting.

Q: A task force charged with reducing overhead costs meets to define their roles and responsibilities and develop 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

Q: Frederick 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

Q: Positive nonverbal messages include all but which of the following? a. Expressing warmth with frequent smiles b. Producing careful, neat, professional, well-organized messages c. Responding rapidly even though the message may have a few errors d. Conveying self-confidence with erect posture

Q: 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

Q: Alfonso 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 smartphone 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. Keep his comments and questions limited to his own personal sales numbers. d. Wait to share his views after the meeting so that the meeting can move along efficiently.

Q: Marco has been appointed team leader of a committee that will develop a new process for submitting expense claims. 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.

Q: Experts say that we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand _______ of everything we hear. a. less than 10 percent b. 25 to 50 percent c. 50 to 75 percent d. over 75 percent

Q: In office conversations, which of the following topics is wise to avoid? a. Your salary or personal finances b. Problems with your health c. Your personal relationships d. All of the above

Q: You decide to arrange chairs informally in a circle for a meeting you are facilitating. What nonverbal message are you hoping to send to the meeting participants? a. That you are encouraging an open, egalitarian exchange of ideas b. That you prefer to be separated from others c. That you are trying to limit discussion d. That people will be working in pairs during the meeting

Q: 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

Q: Morgan has just been appointed to a task force and wants to be an effective team member. Which of the following should she do? a. Ignore members who are being silent to show respect for them. b. Discuss her personal achievements in great detail to establish her credibility. c. Share her ideas with other team members, even if they might not be adopted. d. Bring a list of ground rules she has established to the first meeting.

Q: Khalida is responsible for planning a virtual meeting with participants on three different continents. Prior to the meeting, she should make sure the technology being used is accessible to all participants, distribute materials that will be discussed, and ________. a. determine the time of day most convenient for her b. determine whether any participants may need coaching on the technology c. encourage participants to log in two to three minutes before the meeting time d. set the meeting time for her geographic time zone

Q: Riley 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. Tune out what the customer is saying if you already know the answer.. c. Remain silent for a few seconds after a customer finishes to be sure the thought is completed. d. Because listening is automatic, divide your attention among two or more tasks to be more productive.

Q: 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.

Q: Building trust and interest by logging in early and greeting others as they join in is a good way for meeting facilitators to do which of the following? a. Establish ground rules for the meeting b. Manage turn-taking c. Limit the number of meeting participants d. Humanize virtual meetings

Q: Malcolm is part of a team developing a new smartphone app to track traffic patterns. 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, Malcolm is part of a _______. a. departmental team b. cross-functional team c. virtual team d. self-directed team

Q: Oral and written communication skills, listening proficiency, nonverbal behavior, and etiquette expertise are all examples of soft skills.a. Trueb. False

Q: Eye contact has the same in meaning in all cultures. a. True b. False

Q: Awareness of gender differences can help you become a more sensitive and knowledgeable listener. a. True b. False

Q: Directly confronting team conflict can be effective as long as it is task oriented. a. True b. False

Q: When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, the audience is likely to place more emphasis and credibility on the verbal aspect (the words spoken). a. True b. False

Q: Asking close-ended questions can help you identify key factors in a discussion. a. True b. False

Q: Eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, space, time, distance, and appearance are all examples of nonverbal communication. a. True b. False

Q: The final stage of team development is norming. a. True b. False

Q: Teams should strive for groupthink so that they can make decisions more quickly. a. True b. False

Q: When determining what to wear to an interview, it is acceptable to call ahead and ask the interviewer or receptionist what is appropriate for that organization. a. True b. False

Q: During a group discussion, we are more likely to retain more information as listeners. a. True b. False