PMP Practice Questions #139
You are initiating a new project and decide to conduct MBTI assessments to better understand the individual personalities of your team members. Upon reviewing the results, you observe a significant variance in the communication styles of your team members. Considering the goal of enhancing team collaboration and performance, how should you design the team’s communication strategy to accommodate these differences?
A) Implement a generic communication protocol based on previous project experiences
B) Conduct a targeted workshop on emotional intelligence and effective communication skills
C) Appoint a communication liaison to adapt all team interactions to suit the preferred communication styles of individual members.
D) Encourage self-awareness among team members about their own communication styles through individual mentorship
Analysis:
The question emphasizes the importance of addressing the diverse communication styles within a project team, identified through MBTI assessments, to improve team collaboration and performance. It challenges the project manager to devise a communication strategy that respects these variances while promoting effective team interaction.
Analysis of Options:
Option A: Implement a generic communication protocol based on previous project experiences This overlooks the unique insights provided by MBTI assessments and fails to leverage this information for team development. This approach neglects the individual communication preferences and does not foster an environment conducive to understanding and collaboration among team members.
Option B: Conduct a targeted workshop on emotional intelligence and effective communication skills Conducting a targeted workshop on emotional intelligence and effective communication skills directly addresses the need to accommodate diverse communication styles. This approach promotes self-awareness and empathy among team members, enabling them to appreciate and adapt to each other’s communication preferences, thereby enhancing team dynamics and performance.
Option C: Appoint a communication liaison to adapt all team interactions to suit the preferred communication styles of individual members. Appointing a communication liaison to customize interactions according to individual communication styles, although well-intentioned, risks creating a bottleneck and dependency on a single point of communication. This approach may inadvertently hinder spontaneous and direct communication among team members.
Option D: Encourage self-awareness among team members about their own communication styles through individual mentorship. This approach, while fostering personal growth through mentorship, primarily enhances individual awareness of communication styles. However, it falls short of creating a unified team communication strategy. The absence of group interactions limits the opportunity for team members to collectively understand and adapt to each other’s communication preferences, which is essential for seamless team collaboration.
Conclusion: Option B is the most effective strategy for designing the team’s communication approach. By conducting a workshop focused on emotional intelligence and effective communication, the project manager fosters a team environment where diverse communication styles are understood and respected. This method enhances team collaboration and performance by promoting a mutual understanding and accommodating the individual communication needs of team members.
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
Topics Covered
- Emotional Intelligence
- Personality Assessment Tool (MBTI)
