People Flashcards
Three of your stakeholders have approached you regarding the difficulty they are having with one of your team members. This team member is making inappropriate jokes, continually interrupts others, and is argumentative and unwilling to listen to the stakeholders’ ideas. What is the offending team member lacking in this situation?
Training
Team-building activities
Interpersonal and team skills
Ground rules
Interpersonal and team skills
While all options listed may help the situation, interpersonal and team skills is the prominent area that the offending team member lacks.
Your project has kicked off, and you are beginning a series of overview sessions with key users to determine requirements for a new enterprise resource software implementation. One of your stakeholders is exceptionally contentious and throws obstacles up at every turn. One of the problems she has described does seem to be legitimate. There is an issue with the data from the legacy system that needs to be resolved before moving forward. Which of the following statements is not true regarding this situation?
You should approach this by defining the problem and focusing on separating causes and symptoms.
Your decision-making involves asking questions to determine whether the issues are internal or external to the project.
Your decision-making has a timing element.
You should use a two-step process involving problem definition and decision-making.
You should approach this by defining the problem and focusing on separating causes and symptoms.
Problem-solving involves asking questions to separate the causes of the problem from the symptoms. Decision-making involves considering alternative solutions to the problem. Choices are made from among the alternatives. Timing is important in decision-making, because good decisions made too soon or too late can turn into inferior solutions
You are in the process of facilitating a change control meeting. You review a change request that would double the scope of the project but would not yield a major increase in the project’s resulting benefits. You know that the submitter of the change request has a tendency to bloat a project’s scope without fully thinking through the impact, but as a result of their position in the company, their changes tend to be approved. What type of power does the submitter of the change request typically use?
Expert
Punishment
Legitimate
Referent
Legitimate, or formal, power comes as a result of the influencer’s position.
You are working on a critical project for your organization. The CEO has made it clear this is a top priority. One of the key stakeholders on your project resigned, and her replacement started about three weeks ago. She does not make time for you or seem to have the same level of urgency regarding this project as the CEO. You are concerned with overall project success and want to efficiently manage the processes involved with this project. All of the following are methods referred to within this scenario except for which one?
Ground rules
Data analysis
Decision-making
Meetings
Ground rules
This question describes activities associated with monitoring the engagement levels of stakeholders. The tools and techniques used to perform these activities include data analysis, decision-making, data representation, communication skills, interpersonal and team skills, and meetings. Ground rules are used to manage stakeholder engagement.
A project manager hosted a celebration for the project team to reward them for a job well done that led to the successful completion of a major project. It was clear to the project manager that the team was relaxed and enjoying themselves, with some talking about upcoming vacation plans. What type of project ending is this?
Starvation Integration Extinction Addition
Extinction is the best type of project ending, meaning that the project came to an end because it was completed and accepted by the stakeholders.
A project manager managing a small project has a total of 12 active stakeholders. How many lines of communication exist?
72 12 66 24
The formula for calculating lines of communication is as follows, where n represents the total number of stakeholders (you are already assumed to have been included in the number): n (n – 1) ÷ 2 Plug in the numbers to get the following: 12(12 - 1) ÷ 2 = 66.
A project manager is leading a project with team members dispersed globally. Which of the following tools or methods can the project manager use to create virtual workspaces? Select 2
Split the team in half by colocating them in two groups, using instant messaging software to connect them. Establish remote pairing using video conferencing tools to allow for face-to-face meeting options. Create a fishbowl window through an ongoing video conferencing feed between various locations. All of the above.
According to the Agile Practice Guide, there are various ways for geographically distributed teams to come together via a virtual workspace. Two examples provided include fishbowl windows and remote pairing.
To whom is the theory attributed that says people are motivated by the need for power, achievement, and affiliation?
Victor Vroom Douglas McGregor David McClelland Frederick Herzberg
The Achievement Theory is attributed to David McClelland and says people are motivated by the need for power, achievement, and affiliation. Vroom introduced the Expectancy Theory, Herzberg introduced the Hygiene Theory, and McGregor is known for Theory X and Theory Y
Lewis is a marketing associate reporting to Antwon, the company’s director of marketing. He pulls you aside to get your opinion about the latest project that he claims was his idea. He expresses frustration that Antwon was named sponsor of the project instead of himself. Based on the scenario presented, who is the correct project sponsor?
Neither Antwon Lewis Both
Based on the little information provided in the scenario, you can conclude that Antwon is the project sponsor through his title. A project sponsor is typically an executive in the organization with authority to assign resources and enforce decisions regarding the project. As a marketing associate, Lewis is least likely to be the sponsor, although it is possible that he may play an important role within the project.
A project manager meets with the team to increase cultural awareness by conducting training on cultural norms relating to countries they will be closely engaged with. What activity is the project manager engaged in?
Managing communications
Monitoring stakeholder engagement
Managing stakeholder engagement
Planning stakeholder engagement
The project manager is performing activities related to the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. Interpersonal and team skills, a tool and technique of this process, involves cultural awareness.
One of your project’s deliverables requires skills in journalism. You have three resources working on the activities that need to be completed for this deliverable. One of the resources is beyond happy with her situation and tells you that she is finally in a project where she feels like she is performing at her peak potential. Which of the following statements best describes this situation?
This team member’s need has been fulfilled, and now, according to Maslow, the ability to advance, the opportunity to learn new things, and the challenges involved in the work become motivators.
This team member is describing the self-actualization level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Salary is not a motivator because her basic needs have been fulfilled.
The Expectancy Theory says that the importance of camaraderie with other team members is an important motivator
This team member is describing the self-actualization level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
You are very interested in becoming a project manager. You have mentored with other experienced project managers in your organization to learn more about how to be an effective project manager. You’ve been told your organizational skills and communication skills are excellent. However, you need some additional training in accounting and budgeting skills, because you are weak in these general management areas. The mentor who was honest enough to tell you this explained it which of the following ways?
You will not be able to sit for the exam unless you get formal training in the general management areas. General management skills are likely to affect project outcomes. If you lack any of these skills, it could affect your project and your career adversely, so you should get some training in these areas. General management skills are important to your project outcomes, and Estimating Costs and Control Costs are two of the most important processes within the Executing phase of a project, so you should get some training in these areas. The Estimating Costs and Control Costs processes are under the Planning process group, and you will not be able to pass the questions on the PMP exam that pertain to these processes if you don’t get some training.
General management skills are likely to affect project outcomes. Estimating Costs is part of the Planning process group, and Control Costs is part of the Monitoring and Controlling process group. PMI requires either a degree or a certain number of years of experience in project management to sit for the exam, along with other requirements.
Reasons to Lyv is the top customer of a large marketing firm. Trudy is the president of Reasons to Lyv and has decided to launch a product that leverages new GPS tracking technology. She sits down with Roy, the project manager on the project, to discuss which stakeholders are resistant, unaware, neutral, supportive, or leading within the project. What activity are they performing?
Monitoring stakeholder engagement Planning stakeholder engagement Identifying stakeholders Managing stakeholder engagement
Trudy and Roy are carrying out activities associated with planning stakeholder engagement, which involves developing the approaches to engage stakeholders based on their interests, impact on the project, needs, and expectations.
You are a project manager for Dakota Software Consulting Services. You’re working with a major retailer that offers its products through mail-order catalogs. It’s interested in knowing customer characteristics, the amounts of first-time orders, and similar information. At one of your first project meetings, you explain to the team that quality is the number-one priority with this project and you will immediately deal with any project results (and those who caused them) that are not in keeping with this goal. The last software company that worked with this retailer was terminated because the quality of the end product was unacceptable. You tell the team there will be rewards for those who meet the quality requirements of this project. You also tell them the guidelines for escalating issues with the retailer and instruct them there are to be no deviations from this process. You want to know about anything that has the potential to become an issue. You conclude the meeting and return to your office to write the next status report. Which of the following is true regarding this question?
This behavior is most like the situational leadership style. This behavior is most like the transactional leadership style. This behavior is most like the transformational leadership style. This behavior is most like the democratic leadership style.
This question describes a transactional leadership style. Transactional leaders are autocratic, activity focused, and autonomous; they use contingent reward systems and manage by exception.
A project manager is interested in organizing the team based on individual team member strengths. What tool can they use to gain insights into team strengths and weaknesses, including how they make decisions, interact with others, and process information? Select 3
Training
Structured interviews
Attitudinal surveys
Ability tests
Structured interviews, ability tests, and attitudinal surveys are examples of individual and team assessments that can provide the project manager with insights into team member strengths and weaknesses. This enables them to be organized based on their strengths. Training is not an example of an assessment.
A project manager is preparing to send five engineers to Japan to install a high-security network. The engineers have never been outside of the United States before. Prior to their travel, the project manager asks the Japan-based manager to give the engineers an overview of their history, customs, and social norms. What is the project manager’s motive?
To take a breather after a hard day’s work To ensure the engineers understand how to interact abroad To prevent culture shock To teach the engineers about the Japanese culture
Working in a foreign country can bring about an experience called culture shock. When you’ve spent years acting in certain ways and expecting normal, everyday events to follow a specific course of action, you might find yourself disoriented when things don’t go as you expected. In this scenario, the project manager was attempting to prevent culture shock.
As part of establishing a new project team, a project manager chooses to create an official team charter. What will the project manager likely include within the document? Select 2
Decision-making criteria
Team responsibilities
Team assignments
Team values
The team charter is used to establish the team, clarify expectations, and create team norms. It typically highlights team values, agreements, and how the team will operate together throughout the project’s life. It may also define team ground rules and other expected behaviors.
You are in the process of facilitating a change control meeting. You review a change request that would double the scope of the project but would not yield a major increase in the project’s resulting benefits. You know that the submitter of the change request has a tendency to bloat a project’s scope without fully thinking through the impact, but as a result of their position in the company, their changes tend to be approved. You invite a financial analyst to the meeting to walk the team through the negative impact of the change request, and the team votes to reject the change. What type of power did you use?
Referent
Legitimate
Expert
Punishment
Expert power occurs when the person being influenced believes the person doing the influencing, typically because they are knowledgeable about the subject or have special abilities that make them an expert.
You are a project manager for a network cabling project for your organization. Your project team consists of six full-time employees and three contractors. They have all worked together on a previous project a year ago. You are new to the team. Which of the following is true?
According to Tuckman-Jensen, they will start with the storming stage of team development. According to Hersey and Blanchard, they will start with the forming stage of team development. According to Hersey and Blanchard, they will start with the performing stage of team development. According to Tuckman-Jensen, they will start with the forming stage of team development.
The stages of team development are as follows: forming, storming, norming, and performing. This model was developed by Tuckman-Jensen, and whenever a new member is added, the team reverts to the forming stage of development.
Alfred accepts a job as a security program manager, even though he is not qualified for the role. He reasons that he can learn on the job, despite not having met the position requirements. What value did Alfred fail to uphold?
Responsibility Honor Honesty Respect
Responsibility includes accepting assignments that you are qualified to take on. You should always honestly report your qualifications, your experience, and your past performance of services to potential employers, customers, PMI, and others.
Compromise
Collaborate
Avoid
Force
Compromise, also known as reconcile, involves resolving conflict by seeking to appease all parties involved (lose-lose outcome); collaborate is a win-win conflict-resolution technique that seeks to resolve the problem through open dialogue and varying perspectives; force, also known as direct, is a win-lose conflict-resolution technique where one person is able to get their way; and avoid, also known as withdraw, is a conflict-resolution technique where participants retreat from the situation in hopes that others will resolve the conflict.
Which of the following statements is true regarding lateral thinking? Select 2
- Lateral thinking is a tool and technique of the processes used when identifying risks.
- This is a way of reasoning and thinking about problems from perspectives other than the obvious.
- It is a form of parallel analysis.
- Edward de Bono created this term and has done extensive research on the topic.
Lateral thinking is a form of alternatives analysis often used to determine a project’s scope. It was created by Edward de Bono and serves as a means of reasoning and thinking about problems differently than what can be classified as evident.
A project manager is performing closure activities for the project and meets with the project sponsor to review the final report. The report reveals that the project budget is 90 percent consumed. The project sponsor expresses concern that there may be a risk of going over budget. How is the project manager likely to respond?
- Assure the project sponsor that the risk of going over budget is low.
- Email the project team to express disappointment in project spending.
- Agree with the project sponsor and begin risk mitigation activities.
- Take offense at the project sponsor’s lack of trust and confidence.
As the project progresses, project costs begin to taper off. The project is currently in the closing stage, and risk of overspending should be minimal at this point.
Your team has done an outstanding job, and you have notified their functional managers that their assignment is over. They are all reluctant to go back to their functional work group and are sorry to see the project come to an end. They enjoy working for you and say this project, and working for you, has been one of the best experiences of their career. Which of the following does this describe?
That you are likely a Theory Y manager
Recognition and rewards
The adjourning stage of team development
Maslow’s performing level on the Hierarchy of Needs
This describes the adjourning stage of team development.