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SHRM-CP Organization Questions - Part 14
1. Improving Team Performance At the request of senior management, an HR manager is assigned to solve a problem with a critical product development team. The manager has little information other than the fact that the team has fallen significantly behind schedule and the project leader is inexperienced. What should the HR manager do first?
A) Arrange for the project leader to be coached in project management skills.
B) Implement conflict resolution skills for the entire team immediately.
C) Gather information through interviews and observation of the team at work.
D) Add a consultant to the team who is expert in group facilitation.
2. What is the role of an HR professional attending a meeting in a work unit that is struggling to implement recent changes?
A) To engage the group in solving issues that have arisen
B) To take no role and allow the unit's leader to take action
C) To offer to modify work processes
D) To reinforce management's goal in the change
3. A manager has come to HR because an employee cannot meet production standards. After further investigation, it is discovered that several other employees cannot meet production standards. Records show that all employees have been properly trained and certified. Which action should HR recommend to resolve the issue?
A) Developing a new training program that is mandatory for all employees
B) Documenting underperforming employees with a verbal warning that is a precursor to termination
C) Providing remedial training with a different, more-experienced subject matter expert
D) Meeting with each employee to determine the obstacles to production
4. What is the primary obstacle that must be avoided during the norming phase of team formation?
A) Interpersonal conflicts
B) Limited communication
C) Lack of trust
D) Groupthink
5. A team leader comes to HR for advice. The team is meeting its first milestone goals, but the team leader is worried about the effect on future productivity of one team member. This person spends more time socializing at meetings than talking about the task at hand. What should the HR professional recommend?
A) Manage the risk now and replace the team member quickly.
B) Coach the individual privately on more professional conduct.
C) At the next meeting, make a point of correcting the socializing behavior.
D) Give the team time to develop its roles and relationships.
A) Arrange for the project leader to be coached in project management skills.
B) Implement conflict resolution skills for the entire team immediately.
C) Gather information through interviews and observation of the team at work.
D) Add a consultant to the team who is expert in group facilitation.
2. What is the role of an HR professional attending a meeting in a work unit that is struggling to implement recent changes?
A) To engage the group in solving issues that have arisen
B) To take no role and allow the unit's leader to take action
C) To offer to modify work processes
D) To reinforce management's goal in the change
3. A manager has come to HR because an employee cannot meet production standards. After further investigation, it is discovered that several other employees cannot meet production standards. Records show that all employees have been properly trained and certified. Which action should HR recommend to resolve the issue?
A) Developing a new training program that is mandatory for all employees
B) Documenting underperforming employees with a verbal warning that is a precursor to termination
C) Providing remedial training with a different, more-experienced subject matter expert
D) Meeting with each employee to determine the obstacles to production
4. What is the primary obstacle that must be avoided during the norming phase of team formation?
A) Interpersonal conflicts
B) Limited communication
C) Lack of trust
D) Groupthink
5. A team leader comes to HR for advice. The team is meeting its first milestone goals, but the team leader is worried about the effect on future productivity of one team member. This person spends more time socializing at meetings than talking about the task at hand. What should the HR professional recommend?
A) Manage the risk now and replace the team member quickly.
B) Coach the individual privately on more professional conduct.
C) At the next meeting, make a point of correcting the socializing behavior.
D) Give the team time to develop its roles and relationships.
1. Right Answer: C
Explanation: The first step should be understanding the reason for the issue and whether it can be solved by improving team effectiveness. It may be that the delays have been caused by external factors or that the schedule was unrealistic from the beginning. Interviews and observation will provide data for the HR manager to identify and eliminate possible causes.
2. Right Answer: A
Explanation: The HR professional adds value in this OED engagement by using group process skills to facilitate problem solving. The group will be more successful in implementing solutions that they have helped develop. The team is probably aware by this point of management's goal in making the change. The HR professional is not sure yet that work processes are the team's issue. By avoiding involvement, the HR professional would be not be fulfilling HR's role Β to improve the organization's effectiveness.
3. Right Answer: D
Explanation: Training is sometimes seen as the solution to all performance problems. In this case, the manager should meet with the underperforming employees to determine why they are not producing. Since other employees are meeting standards after receiving the same training, it may be that there is a different issue that must be addressed.
4. Right Answer: D
Explanation: During the norming phase, the team members unite behind rules and processes. The major obstacle here is groupthink, which occurs when members value a shared identity so much that innovation and creative problem solving (which may entail disagreement) is hampered.
5. Right Answer: D
Explanation: Team members often play different roles, and those roles may shift as a team develops or situations arise. Especially since the team is still young (i.e., meeting its first milestone goals), it may be valuable to have a member who is good at developing relationships and strengthening bonds of familiarity and trust. Correcting the behavior may hurt the team member's motivation and may weaken the entire team.
Explanation: The first step should be understanding the reason for the issue and whether it can be solved by improving team effectiveness. It may be that the delays have been caused by external factors or that the schedule was unrealistic from the beginning. Interviews and observation will provide data for the HR manager to identify and eliminate possible causes.
2. Right Answer: A
Explanation: The HR professional adds value in this OED engagement by using group process skills to facilitate problem solving. The group will be more successful in implementing solutions that they have helped develop. The team is probably aware by this point of management's goal in making the change. The HR professional is not sure yet that work processes are the team's issue. By avoiding involvement, the HR professional would be not be fulfilling HR's role Β to improve the organization's effectiveness.
3. Right Answer: D
Explanation: Training is sometimes seen as the solution to all performance problems. In this case, the manager should meet with the underperforming employees to determine why they are not producing. Since other employees are meeting standards after receiving the same training, it may be that there is a different issue that must be addressed.
4. Right Answer: D
Explanation: During the norming phase, the team members unite behind rules and processes. The major obstacle here is groupthink, which occurs when members value a shared identity so much that innovation and creative problem solving (which may entail disagreement) is hampered.
5. Right Answer: D
Explanation: Team members often play different roles, and those roles may shift as a team develops or situations arise. Especially since the team is still young (i.e., meeting its first milestone goals), it may be valuable to have a member who is good at developing relationships and strengthening bonds of familiarity and trust. Correcting the behavior may hurt the team member's motivation and may weaken the entire team.
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