WorksheetsChapter 1 Worksheet Questions
Total questions: 148
Worksheet time: 1hrs 14mins
Which of the following is a form of nonverbal communication?
Facial expressions, such as frowning or raising the eyebrows
Eye contact, such as staring or avoiding looking someone in the eye
Time, such as showing up too late or too early
All answer choices are forms of nonverbal communication.
Communicators from North America, Scandinavia, and Germany tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented. They also depend little on the context of a situation to convey their meaning. These communicators represent what kind of culture?
High-context
Primitive
Ancient
Low-context
Which of the following tips should you follow to improve your nonverbal communication skills?
Focus only on the sender's words when you are engaged in conversation.
Proofread all correspondence you send.
Avoid individuals from other cultures so that you don't start using nonverbal behaviors displayed in other cultures.
Avoid asking the speaker questions when his or her nonverbal and verbal messages contradict.
You can improve your listening skills if you follow tips for active listening, including
keeping an open mind, establishing a receptive mind-set, and listening between the lines.
establishing a receptive mind-set, concentrating on appearance and delivery, and sifting information through biases.
capitalizing on lag time, concentrating on your next comment, and taking as many notes as possible.
asking questions immediately, focusing on the speaker's face, and concentrating on the details presented in the message.
Amelia has made a conscious effort to become an active listener. Therefore, she shuts down her computer, turns off her cell phone, and asks her assistant to hold all incoming calls when she conducts interviews. What technique is she using to improve listening?
Keeping an open mind
Establishing a receptive mind-set
Capitalizing on lag time
Controlling her surroundings
On the job you are more likely to be taken seriously and to be promoted if you look and sound professional.
frame your degree or certificate and hang it on your office or cubicle wall.
appear to be busy even when you're not really doing anything.
attend office parties.
Proofread all correspondence you send.
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
Ethics is a priority for many businesses.
Because of economic concerns, American companies are relying on local markets.
Most companies discourage workers from working in teams because they fear a loss of productivity.
Today's businesses are expanding their hierarchies to meet the demands of their workers and their competition.
Which of the following statements about today's business environments is most accurate?
The number of telecommuting employees is expected to decline in the future.
All companies assign offices for employees.
Many employees today no longer need an office; they can work anytime and anywhere.
Workers today spend more time in offices than workers in the past.
Which statement about ethnocentrism is most accurate?
Ethnocentrism occurs in only Western cultures.
Ethnocentrism does not exist in today's culturally diverse workplace.
Ethnocentrism causes us to judge others by our own values.
Ethnocentrism is the oversimplified perception of a behavioral pattern or characteristic applied to all groups.
Which of the following is a benefit of a diverse work environment?
Being better ability to create the products desired by consumers
Experiencing fewer discrimination lawsuits, fewer union clashes, and less government regulatory action
Improving employee relationships and increasing productivity
All are benefits of a diverse work environment.
When speaking with someone for whom English is a second language, you should talk slowly, enunciate clearly, check frequently for comprehension, observe eye messages, listen without interrupting, and follow up important messages in writing.
avoid smiling, which might make you appear to lack seriousness.
use words that will impress the listener.
assume that the listener understands if he or she nods and smiles in agreement.
observe eye messages, listen without interrupting, and follow up important messages in writing.
Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication is most accurate?
Nonverbal communication comprises very little of a message that is sent or received.
When verbal and nonverbal messages contradict, receivers believe that the verbal message is more accurate.
Meanings of nonverbal behaviors are often influenced by the communication context and by one's culture.
Nonverbal communication applies to only intended messages.
According to research, what percentage of our work time is spent listening?
50 percent
90 percent
10 percent
25 percent
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
Very few management problems are related to listening.
The average person remembers nearly three quarters of what he or she hears following a 10-minute presentation.
We misinterpret, misunderstand, or change very little of what we hear.
Most people are not very good listeners.
Every country has a unique culture or common heritage that
teaches its members how to behave and conditions their reactions
results from a common gene pool.
is created by a structured educational system.
comes from an orderly system of government and laws.
Which of the following is not a physical barrier for listening?
Hearing disabilities
Poor acoustics
Noisy surroundings
Personal values
According to Edward T. Hall, which spatial zone is the largest?
Intimate
Personal
Social
Public
Nonverbal communication includes
all unwritten and unspoken messages, intended or not.
only body language and gestures that accompany a spoken message.
only eye contact and facial expressions that support the meaning of the words.
only cues that reveal agreement with or contradiction of the verbal message.
Which of the following countries would likely view a business contract as a binding document?
Mexico
Greece
Japan
Germany
A listener who nods her head and maintains eye contact with a speaker is probably
listening actively to what the speaker is saying.
not understanding what the speaker is saying.
faking attention while she listens to music on her MP3 player.
formulating her response to a point with which she disagrees.
Megahertz Technology Solutions, Inc., recently suffered a discrimination lawsuit. Advice to improve its workforce diversity is likely to include understanding the value of differences, providing diversity training for employees, building on similarities, and
hiring a more homogenous work group.
making fewer assumptions.
requiring all employees to use jargon that conveys stereotypes.
making sure all employees conform to a standard company culture.
While conducting business with a customer from Italy, Zoe was careful to speak slowly and clearly, using short sentences and familiar words. However, she noticed that the customer had a glazed expression and did not understand her. Zoe should
repeat what she has said in a louder voice.
graciously accept the blame for not making her meaning clear.
end the conversation until an interpreter can be found.
require the Italian businessperson to restate the message in simple words.
The most important cultural dimension is
power distance.
communication style.
time orientation.
context.
North Americans value straightforwardness and are suspicious of evasiveness. These traits identify the cultural dimension of
individualism.
power distance.
communication style.
time orientation.
Which of the following is not a dimension of culture?
Power distance
Individualism
Tolerance
Time orientation
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
The need for well-written messages has declined in today's workforce.
Employers rank soft skills as less valuable than hard skills.
Social media are playing an increasingly prominent role in business.
Today's use of digital media requires less written communication.
Workers who communicate successfully with diverse audiences must make few assumptions, learn about their own and other cultures, and
help others conform.
avoid noticing differences.
encourage group thinking.
seek common ground.
When writing for a multicultural audience, you are more likely to be understood if you use short sentences and short paragraphs and if you include
slang, such as This product really rocks!
idioms, such as You can improve your bottom line by using this product.
acronyms, such as ASAP.
action-specific verbs, such as E-mail me if you have any questions rather than Contact me if you have any questions.
The manager noticed that Stephen slammed his desk drawer right after he said that he was happy to work late. The manager should
tell Stephen that he should behave more professionally.
respond to the verbal message only and thank him for working late.
Which of the following is not an example of a soft skill?
Communicating effectively
Tabulating statistical information
Solving problems
Making ethical decisions
An American businessperson who thinks that all Swiss are hardworking, efficient, and neat is demonstrating an example of
ethnocentrism.
tolerance.
stereotyping.
a cultural norm.
Most people think that the best predictor of a speaker's true feelings is his or her
facial expressions.
posture.
gestures.
eyes.
Which of the following is a common trait of a business communicator from a low-context culture?
Valuing group membership
Preferring indirect verbal interaction
Placing emphasis on written information
Relying on context and feeling
Which communication technology is used by companies today?
Presence technology
Cloud computing
Videoconferencing
All answer choices are communication technologies being used by companies today.
Working with people from other cultures will require tolerance. One of the best ways to become more tolerant is by
practicing empathy.
increasing your individualism.
encouraging ethnocentrism.
knowing your communication style.
Which statement about today's workplace is most accurate?
Employees can expect to have more managers.
Very few businesses involve employees in decision making.
Today's employees can expect to interact with people from many cultures.
Businesses use social media only to interact with customers.
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
Workers today communicate less than in previous years.
Technology has not affected how and why we communicate.
Businesses today generate a wide range of messages using a variety of media.
Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication is most accurate?
The meaning of some gestures can vary among cultures.
The way an e-mail, letter, memo, or report looks can have either a positive or a negative effect on a receiver.
The manner in which we structure and use time can reveal our personalities and attitudes.
All statements are accurate.
Max is preparing a contract between his company and one in Mexico. What should he do when citing numbers in the contract?
Use the metric system.
Use American currency figures.
Write all months as figures rather than as words.
Avoid using any figures in the contract.
Which statement about the effect of social media and communication technology on culture is most accurate?
Because of social media, communicators can now reach out to larger and more varied audiences than in the past.
Social media always makes individuals of various cultures feel connected.
Social media offers very little potential for intercultural engagement.
Developers of social media should use the same design principles for all audiences.
According to Edward T. Hall, in which spatial zone do most people converse with friends and family members?
Intimate
Personal
Social
Public
Which of the following countries represents a high-context culture?
United States
Germany
Norway
Japan
Suzanne wants to make a good impression during a job interview. What should she do?
Avoid eye contact with her interviewer to show respect.
Slump down in her chair to show that she's relaxed.
Wear professional business attire.
Ask the interviewer to lunch.
Your boss is giving instructions for a new method of keeping expense accounts. However, you find it difficult to concentrate because you think the change is unnecessary. What type of barrier to effective listening are you experiencing?
Language problem barrier
Psychological barrier
Physical barrier
Nonverbal distraction barrier
Learning about beliefs and practices different from our own and appreciating them means displaying
tolerance.
individualism.
stereotyping.
gender norming.
According to researchers, most people listen at what level of proficiency?
100 percent
5 percent
25-50 percent
75 percent
Major trends in today's dynamic world of work include increased emphasis on self-directed work groups and virtual teams, heightened global competition, innovative communication technologies, new work environments, and focus on
creating an entirely online presence.
promoting from within.
increasing levels of management.
business ethics.
Communication skills
are not as important as technical skills for career success.
are not necessary in today's competitive job market.
are ranked by recruiters at the top of qualities they most desire in job seekers.
cannot be learned; they are innate.
Peter must inform his employees that his company will need to let go of employees. Which word would be best for Peter to use when conveying this idea to his employees?
Layoff
Streamlining
Paradigm shift
Rightsizing
Many of us are poor listeners because
the brain can process information at least three times as fast as people talk.
we tend to "tune out" speakers whose ideas run counter to our own.
we would rather talk than listen.
All answer choices are correct.
Which of the following sentences demonstrates conversational business writing?
Your return policy has provoked me to write this letter.
I am upset about your return policy.
Your return policy really ticks me off.
All answer choices reflect conversational business writing.
Communication noise
describes the medium over which the message travels.
includes only environmentally produced sounds that prevent the message from being transmitted.
is anything that interrupts the transmission of a message.
occurs only with the sender in the communication process.
You are selecting a channel for sending your message. Which of the following is not a factor to consider when making this decision?
Your competitors' channel use
Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message
Cost of the channel
Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required
When preparing a business message, you should make your writing audience oriented. Audience oriented means you should
write to solve a problem or convey information.
concentrate on looking at the problem from the receiver's perspective.
attempt to get your audience to believe and accept your message.
present ideas clearly but concisely.
Human Resources Manager Claire Siu must inform Anthony that company job changes will require him to seek retraining or lose his position. The best channel for Ms. Siu to deliver this message is
an e-mail message.
a voice mail message.
a face-to-face conversation.
an instant message.
Travis must determine the appropriate channel for an important business message. In this context channel refers to the
tone and approach needed to accomplish his purpose.
individuals who will receive the message.
medium through which the message is sent.
degree of formality required.
A communication channel
is the medium over which the message travels.
includes only digital means for transmitting messages.
should be selected before idea formation.
is anything that interrupts the transmission of a message.
Experts say that writers should spend the most time in the ____ stage of the writing process.
drafting
revising
prewriting
thinking
Which of the following is not an element of the communication process?
Providing feedback
Displaying empathy
Selecting a communication channel
Forming an idea
In the final phase of the writing process, check the message for clarity and readability, proofread for errors, and
solve the problem.
evaluate for effectiveness.
assess the cost of the selected delivery channel.
forward the document to the publishing department.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
Mr. Hernandez, a Mexican, is my boss.
An Asian CEO was the keynote speaker.
An African-American man was the next customer.
A record number of Japanese investors are purchasing real estate in the United States.
Business writing should be purposeful. In this context purposeful can best be defined as
presenting ideas clearly and concisely.
concentrating on the receiver's perspective instead of your own.
getting your audience to believe and accept your message.
solving problems and conveying information.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
All executives and their wives will attend the Reno conference.
A salesman must meet monthly sales quotas.
The office personnel will assist you with your forms.
The female attorney graduated from Yale.
Marketing Director Schultz must inform the board of directors that customers are not responding positively to the company's new advertising campaign. Which of the following sentences would be the most appropriate wording for the marketing director to use in her message to the board of directors?
Our customers are ripping on our new ads, even though we know these ads rock!
We have received reports from customers about our new ads.
Our customers are badmouthing this awesome new marketing campaign; they are obviously just out of it.
It has come to my attention that our customers have denigrated the strategic implementation of our new ad campaign.
Jorge must inform Samantha that she is not eligible to have an August vacation for which she recently applied. Which of the following sentences best demonstrates the "you" view Jorge should use in denying Samantha's application?
I have not approved your August vacation because you applied too late.
We didn't receive your application early enough for the August vacation schedule.
Although the August vacation schedule is full, you may qualify for a vacation in September if you apply now.
The August vacation schedule was posted in May. You should have consulted it earlier.
The communication process begins when the sender
has an idea.
encodes an idea into a message.
plans for feedback.
determines the appropriate communication channel.
Feedback
includes both the verbal and nonverbal responses from the receiver.
is not an important part of the communication process.
is the process of converting an idea that will convey meaning.
includes only those verbal responses from the receiver.
Business writing should be all of the following except
audience oriented.
economical.
purposeful.
sender oriented.
Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
Every physician must carry his or her own malpractice insurance.
Every physician must carry his own malpractice insurance.
Every physician must carry their own malpractice insurance.
All physicians must carry their own malpractice insurance.
The process of translating a message from its symbol form into meaning is called
feedback.
encoding.
noise.
decoding.
Lindsay is writing a property description for a new real estate brochure. To make her brochure more effective, Lindsay should anticipate her audience. This means she
identifies the property's outstanding traits and describes them clearly.
writes using familiar words and a friendly, informal tone.
concentrates on the price and value of the property.
considers what the readers are like and how they will react to the message.
Which of the following demonstrates effective business writing?
Please get it right and credit my account for $125.
I'm ticked! Credit my account now!
You should credit my account.
Will you please credit my account for $125 due to the computer error on May 1.
Adapting your message to the audience involves
selecting the best research to incorporate within the message.
thinking of the right words and tone to use in your message.
rewriting your message several times to ensure it is clear.
conducting a thorough audience analysis.
Which statement about the communication process is most accurate?
Only senders are affected by their mood, frame of reference, background, or culture.
Feedback helps the sender know that the message was received and understood.
Because the meanings of words are the same among people, participants in the communication process need not worry about their word selection or usage.
The use of digital networks as a means to transmit messages is declining in today's workplace.
Courteous business messages
All answer choices are correct.
avoid using words that sound demanding or preachy.
avoid hostility or anger.
often turn demands into rhetorical questions.
Business messages should use positive language rather than negative language. Positive language
has no effect on the tone of a message.
tells what is and what can be done.
grants the reader all requests or demands.
conveys less information than negative language.
Communication is successful only when
verbal feedback has been sent to the receiver.
the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it.
no noise occurs during the communication process.
verbal and nonverbal feedback have been sent to the receiver.
Profiling the audience for a business message helps the writer
identify the appropriate tone, language, and channel.
select slang the audience will recognize and appreciate.
create a perfect first draft.
guarantee that the audience will respond positively to the message.
Communication is defined as "the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another." The crucial element of this definition is
individual.
information.
meaning.
transmission.
The first phase of the writing process involves analyzing the audience and your purpose for writing, anticipating your audience's reaction to your message, and
looking for previous company documents on the topic.
composing your message.
investigating background information.
adapting your message to the audience.
Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?
Sheila will examine the job proposal carefully.
Caltrek experienced a change in profits during the last fiscal year.
Please think about the new insurance option.
Retailers can expect to pay higher amounts for their goods and services.
Which of the following sentences best focuses on the audience?
Register now to lock in your preferred travel dates.
We are very pleased to have you as our newest customer.
All sentences are focused on the audience rather than the sender.
You can help us by sending us your payment immediately.
Michael usually holds team meetings on Tuesday mornings, but he needs to reschedule next week's meeting to Wednesday morning. To tell team members of the date change for the next meeting, Michael should
write a short team report.
meet in person with each team member.
call a team meeting.
send an e-mail.
Before Melissa organizes and composes her message, she should ask two questions: (1) Why am I sending this message? and (2)
What do I hope to achieve with this message?
Why did my boss give this task to me?
How can I get this message written as quickly as possible?
Do I have enough time and financial resources to complete the work?
Business writing should be economical. In this context economical can best be defined as
concentrating on the receiver's perspective instead of your own.
solving problems and conveying information.
presenting ideas clearly and concisely.
getting your audience to believe and accept your message.
When selecting a communication channel, you should follow two tips: use richer media for persuasive or personal communications, and
select the cheapest channel to reduce costs.
never use digital media such as instant or text messaging on the job.
use the richest media available.
consider what media is the easiest for you to use.
One of the best ways to develop audience benefits is to use the "you" view, which
uses slang and abbreviations to personalize the message.
dictates that all sentences be written as commands.
emphasizes second-person pronouns instead of first-person pronouns.
means that all messages are written in the active voice.
Converting ideas into words or gestures to convey meaning is called
encoding.
nonverbal communication.
decoding.
feedback.
Adaptation is the process of
sending feedback to the sender of a message.
creating a message that suits the audience.
proofreading and editing a written message.
impressing your audience with high-level diction and long sentences.
Business writers who use words such as interrogate, remuneration, and terminate are using language many readers would consider
conversational.
slang.
jargon.
unfamiliar.
Empathic writers
All answer choices reflect techniques used by empathic writers.
try to give something to the receiver.
use more first-person pronouns than second-person pronouns in their messages.
think about their needs before the receiver's needs.
The primary purpose of business writing is typically to inform or persuade; a common secondary purpose is to
create written documentation.
avoid lawsuits.
promote goodwill.
comply with governmental regulations.
One technique that improves business writing is the use of empathy. Empathy refers to
using inclusive language to eliminate bias.
appealing to the audience by using a sender focus.
formatting documents to meet business standards.
putting yourself in the receiver's shoes to adapt the message to the receiver's needs.
According to writing experts, approximately what percentage of time should you spend on the prewriting phase of a business message?
5 percent
50 percent
25 percent
90 percent
Which of the following sentences demonstrates effective business writing?
The latest catalog is contained under separate cover.
Enclosed is our latest catalog.
Pertaining to your request, our latest catalog is enclosed.
As per your request, enclosed is our latest catalog.
Which of the following communication channels is considered the richest medium?
Face-to-face conversation
Blog posting
E-mail message
Written proposal
During the second phase of the writing process, you conduct research,
clarify the audience demographics, and edit word choices.
organize ideas, and compose the message.
anticipate audience reaction, and adapt the message.
evaluate message effectiveness, and revise as needed.
Which of the following sentences about jargon is most accurate?
Jargon should always be avoided because it is inherently unclear.
Jargon can be appropriate when the audience shares the same technical vocabulary.
Jargon is preferred in business messages because it sounds more sophisticated.
Jargon is the only way to convey complex ideas in any professional field.
Which of the following sentences demonstrates effective business writing?
FYI, i liked your proposal :).
Hey, Bob. Ur proposal is rad!
Congrats on the proposal. You rock!
Your proposal demonstrates how our call center can better meet the needs of our customers.
A synonym for professionalism is
business etiquette.
diversity.
social acceptance.
hard skills.
Richard wants to prove that he is diligent and reliable. What is the best advice you can give him?
Put all focus on his job and avoid volunteering his services to a worthy community or charity group.
Avoid apologizing for any errors.
Honor his commitments and keep promises.
Avoid any interaction with coworkers so that he stays focused on his job.
An awareness of courtesy and etiquette
is needed for only high-level business executives.
is not important to hiring managers.
will ensure one's popularity in an office setting.
can improve an individual's chances of being hired and promoted.
What is the ideal number of participants for most groups?
Two
Ten
Four to five
There is no "ideal" number; more is always better.
Which of the following is the best practice for a group when it begins a meeting?
Give a quick recap to anyone who arrives late.
Establish ground rules.
Wait until all participants arrive.
Start voting on items prior to holding any discussion.
Saying words correctly and clearly with the accepted sounds and accented syllables reflects
proper pronunciation.
rate.
vocal quality.
pitch.
Which of the following is the best advice to follow when dealing with conflict in a team?
Do not allow team members to speak their minds because too many ideas could prevent the group from reaching its goal.
Avoid conflict completely and let the chips fall where they may.
To promote individuality, focus on the person rather than the task.
Look for areas of mutual agreement.
The most successful workplace teams
work independently.
avoid conflict.
are homogeneous.
agree on a purpose and procedures.
Which of the following is the best advice to follow when placing a business phone call?
In the introduction of the phone call, name the person you are calling, identify yourself and your affiliation, and give a brief explanation of your reason for calling.
Realize that the responsibility for ending a call lies with the caller.
All answer choices are good tips to follow when placing business phone calls.
Use professional vocabulary and courteous language.
What term describes groups of people who collaborate with one another to accomplish a shared task across space, time, and organizational boundaries using technology?
Virtual teams
Blogs
Social networking
Team players
Which of the following statements about phones and phone usage in today's businesses is most accurate?
The telephone has been replaced by e-mail as the No. 1 communication channel.
Phones are not an important communication tool in today's business offices.
Effective business communicators know how to use phones productively, efficiently, and professionally.
Today's offices do not come equipped with phones.
What is your first task before holding a meeting?
Determining your purpose
Deciding how and where to meet
Preparing an agenda
Inviting participants
Which of the following would have a negative impact on a group?
Encouraging members to participate
Setting rules and abiding by them
Failing to stay on task
Analyzing tasks and defining problems
What is the first thing you should do before making a business telephone call?
Decide what you're going to say after the receiver answers.
Ask yourself if the phone call is necessary.
Write down the ideas you want to discuss so that you don't forget them.
Prepare an appropriate opening.
To use your voice effectively,
avoid listening to educated individuals to retain your speaking uniqueness.
overemphasize all words to guarantee audience understanding.
speak in a relaxed, controlled, well-pitched voice at about 125 words per minute.
keep the same volume and rate while speaking.
Professional behavior is comprised of six dimensions, including courtesy and respect, appearance and appeal, tolerance and tact, honesty and ethics, reliability and diligence, and
self-actualization and self-control.
sharing and collegiality.
education and training.
soft and hard skills.
In what phase of team development do teams select members, become acquainted, build trust, and form a collaborative culture?
Forming
Performing
Storming
Norming
Companies use virtual meetings to
All answer choices provide reasons companies use virtual meetings.
save travel costs.
reduce employee fatigue.
connect dispersed participants.
Which of the following statements about face-to-face communication is most accurate?
Face-to-face interaction is the most effective of all communication channels.
Face-to-face communication increases the likelihood of misunderstandings.
Face-to-face conversations reduce cooperation and limit problem solving during conflict.
Face-to-face communication is the least rich communication channel.
In what phase of team development do members select alternatives, analyze effects, implement their plan, and manage their project?
Storming
Performing
Norming
Forming
Leticia has called a client and received his voice mail. What is the best advice you can give Leticia for leaving a message?
Speak as quickly as possible to make her message more concise.
Hang up and call back later; her client won't want to be bothered with having to listen to a message.
Leave a complete message, including confidential details about the project Leticia is working on, to make her message as useful as possible.
Smile when leaving her message to add warmth to her voice.
Which of the following would probably best help a group achieve its goal?
Competition
Individual leadership
Active listening skills
Emphasis on individualism
Which of the following should be included in the minutes of a meeting?
Date and time of meeting
Participants' names
All answer choices are items that should be included in the minutes of a meeting.
Action items
Which of the following statements about professionalism is most accurate?
Professionalism is important for employees in only Fortune 500 companies.
Demonstrating etiquette is important in the office and online.
No correlation exists between professional behavior and workplace success.
Employees must demonstrate professional behavior only when communicating face-to-face with others.
When the purpose of your meeting is to solve an intense problem, what is the recommended number of meeting participants?
An unlimited number of participants
Five or fewer
Ten or fewer
Thirty or fewer
The best definition of uptalk is
an unnaturally quick speaking pattern.
a rising inflection at the end of a sentence that makes statements sound like questions.
self-gratifying comments to make you appear better than others.
a flat or monotonous delivery.
Which of the following statements about workplace teams is most accurate?
Teams tend to respond more slowly to competition or problem solving.
Team members who are involved in the decision-making process show less resistance to change.
Because conflict often results, teams tend to have decreased productivity.
Individuals tend to make better decisions than teams.
You recently chaired a team implementing new federal confidentiality requirements. After implementation, you must evaluate each team member's performance. Which of the following suggestions about giving constructive criticism is not accurate?
Discuss the behavior, not the person.
Use language that focuses on improvement instead of problems.
To show more compassion, be as vague as possible.
Ask the team members for feedback.
Which of the following is the best example of a response when answering calls for others?
Annette is currently participating in an important budget meeting with our board of directors.
Annette is away from her desk, but I will give her your message when she returns.
We're not really sure where Annette is right now, but she'll return your call immediately whenever she gets back.
Annette has run down to the ladies' room for a few minutes, but she should be back soon.
How do recruiters and employers view the importance of professional behavior in the workplace?
Team, communication, and people skills are low priorities for most recruiters and employers.
Good manners and a businesslike, professional demeanor are among the top skills recruiters seek in applicants.
Professionalism and soft skills are important only in service-oriented fields.
Although recruiters are impressed with applicants who speak and write well, a candidate's technical expertise is all that matters.
You are in a meeting receiving your performance review and are surprised that your supervisor has offered you many suggestions for improvement. How should you react to the criticism?
To avoid any type of confrontation with your supervisor, agree with all comments made.
Interrupt your supervisor frequently to comment on his or her suggestions so that you don't miss giving feedback on anything.
Try to deflect blame for anything negative said to others in your department.
Ask for clarification of comments when necessary.
Which of the following is the best advice to follow when receiving telephone calls for others?
Identify your colleague's whereabouts if you are answering his or her phone.
Find your coworker immediately and report that he or she has an incoming call.
Guarantee the caller that your colleague will return the call within a few hours.
Verify telephone numbers and spelling of names when taking messages.
Which of the following statements about teams in today's business is most accurate?
Teams are rarely used in today's business environment.
Today's teams collaborate only face-to-face.
Effective soft skills are not necessary when collaborating in teams.
Teams can be effective in solving problems and in developing new products.
Which of the following is the best advice regarding workplace conversation?
Bring up controversial topics such as politics or religion as often as possible to show your intelligence.
To demonstrate that you are human, feel free to complain about your colleagues, friends, and job when you need to vent.
Be courteous and attentive when conversing with managers, colleagues, subordinates, and customers.
To personalize your conversations, always use first names when addressing supervisors, customers, and coworkers.
Which of the following demonstrates the best example when answering a telephone call?
Thanks for calling Precision Integrations. This is Beth Dittmer. How may I help you today?
Precision Integrations. What's on your mind?
Hello. What can I do for you?
This is Beth. May I help you?
Which statement about professionalism is most accurate?
Professionalism refers to those behaviors exhibited only to customers.
Professionalism describes desirable workplace behavior.
Professionalism is important only in large companies.
Professionalism emphasizes hard skills or technical knowledge desired by employers.
A meeting agenda should include the date and place of the meeting, start and end times, a brief description of each topic with its time allotment, and
a refreshment list.
an explanation of the leader's position on each of the agenda topics.
All answer choices should be included on a meeting agenda.
any premeeting preparation expected of participants.
Which of the following statements about professionalism in the workplace is most accurate?
More organizations are establishing procedures or policies to encourage professionalism.
Unprofessional behavior affects only the individual who displays it.
You exhibit professional behavior only through nonverbal actions such as dressing appropriately or maintaining eye contact with others.
Employees need to exhibit professional behavior only when working at their desks.
Stephen is starting a new job and wants to demonstrate that he is a professional employee. What advice should he follow?
Never apologize for errors or misunderstandings because doing so calls attention to them.
Show up a few minutes late every so often to show that he isn't an overzealous employee.
Avoid compromising with others.
Exercise self-control and keep personal opinions of people private.
Which of the following statements about meetings is most accurate?
Because of e-mail and wireless devices, meetings are no longer needed in the business world.
As businesses become more team-oriented, people are attending more meetings than ever.
To increase employee productivity, meetings should never be held.
Only top-level business executives must attend meetings.
Elisha has just started a new job and must use a cell phone to communicate with coworkers and customers. What advice should she follow to demonstrate professional cell phone use?
Speak louder so that her receiver can hear her and her ideas.
Screen incoming calls if she is busy.
Select a unique ringtone such as the music and lyrics to her favorite song so that she can recognize when her phone is ringing.
Talk openly and freely on her cell phone in any location and at any time.
Which of the following statements about workplace criticism is most accurate?
When receiving criticism, individuals should focus on their feelings rather than on the content of the criticism.
Giving and receiving criticism is a normal occurrence in the business world.
In today's workplace, only managers must give criticism.
Most individuals like to give and receive criticism.
Shawn needs to record his outgoing message on his voice mail system. Which of the following outgoing messages is most professional?
This is Shawn. I'm not available right now. But if you leave a message, I promise to call you back. Be sure to include your name, phone number, and the best time to return your call.
Hi! I'm sorry I missed your call. Please leave a brief message after the tone.
Your call is important to me. Please leave your name and number so that I can return your call promptly.
Hi! You have reached the voice mail of Shawn Berg of Juarez Accounting. I am currently away from my phone but will return by 2 p.m. Please call back then. Thank you for calling.
The benefits of voice mail include eliminating unnecessary chit chat, telephone tag, inaccurate messages, and
the necessity of a cordial, friendly greeting.
the need for written messages.
prompt responses.
time zone barriers.
Which of the following statement best provides constructive criticism?
You need to produce work that meets this company's standards.
Producing inferior work often causes this company to lose time and money.
Your work is often shoddy.
You seem to think that you can submit any kind of work and that it doesn't matter.
Jue understands that soft skills and professional polish will ensure her long-term success on the job. Which of the following is not a soft skill?
The ability to work effectively as part of a team
An eagerness to learn
A grasp of workplace etiquette
Proficiency in using a variety of computer software packages
Jeff will be leading a virtual team meeting. What should he do to make certain that the meeting runs smoothly and professionally?
Set the meeting time using Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Discourage any chitchat among team members before or after the meeting.
Send text messages and check his e-mail during the meeting.
Ensure that the technology is working for all participants before the meeting starts.
Which of the following statements about the power of the human voice is most accurate?
Individuals can learn to change their voice to make it more effective and powerful.
The voice sends only verbal messages to receivers.
No correlation exists between the voice and perceived authority and trust.
All answer choices are accurate statements about the human voice.
How should a group leader keep a meeting progressing effectively?
Allow group members to digress on a topic because other topics may be beneficial to explore.
Engage in most of the talking to ensure that the meeting ends on time.
Discourage members who monopolize the discussion.
Summarize only at the end of the meeting.
