Difficulty: Medium

Average Score: 67%

Mei is asked to put together a team to decide on the company's next advertising campaign. At the first meeting, Mei takes on the leader role and gives everyone else on the team certain tasks. It becomes apparent that the other team members are unhappy because they have been assigned roles for which they do not have any expertise.

Which action should Mei have performed to prevent this conflict?

Rationale

Managing member roles would have prevented the conflict in Mei's team.

By ensuring that team members are assigned roles that align with their expertise, Mei could foster a more collaborative environment and enhance the team's overall effectiveness. Proper management of member roles helps to mitigate dissatisfaction and encourages team engagement.

A (Managing member roles) CORRECT

Effective management of member roles involves recognizing each team member's skills and expertise before assigning tasks. By aligning roles with individual strengths, Mei could have minimized frustration and ensured that all members felt competent and valued in their contributions. This proactive approach would have facilitated smoother collaboration and enhanced overall team morale.

B (Balancing team and member goals) YOUR ANSWER

While it is important to balance team and individual goals, this action alone would not address the immediate issue of role assignment. If members are unhappy with their roles due to a lack of expertise, merely balancing goals may not resolve their dissatisfaction or improve their performance in tasks they are ill-equipped to handle.

C (Clarifying objectives) YOUR ANSWER

Clarifying objectives is essential for team success, but it does not directly resolve the issue of mismatched roles. Even with clear objectives, if members are assigned tasks outside their areas of expertise, they will likely remain disengaged and frustrated, which can hinder the achievement of those objectives.

D (Ensuring the team is supported by the system) YOUR ANSWER

While systemic support is crucial for a team's success, it does not address the specific issue of role assignment. Without properly matched roles, even the best support systems cannot compensate for a lack of alignment between tasks and members' skills, which is a fundamental cause of the conflict observed.

Conclusion

In summary, effective management of member roles is vital to preventing conflict within teams. By assigning tasks based on expertise, Mei could have created a more positive and productive environment, thus enhancing team cohesion and performance. Addressing role assignments directly addresses the root cause of dissatisfaction among team members, making it a critical step in team leadership.

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