Level 3 Teamwork Sample Item
Scenario:
A two-person paint and wallpaper crew is redecorating the first floor of a house for a family which has gone on vacation. The team has two days to finish the job. They have completed the dining room and family room. One team member is finishing the painting in the kitchen; the other has begun wallpapering the living room. The second team member finds that after the paste is applied, the wallpaper tears very easily when he is trying to adjust it on the wall and trim it to fit.
They discuss the situation. The one who is painting suggests that they both work on the wallpapering first and then finish painting the kitchen. She explains that one of them can hold up the bottom of the wallpaper strip while the other one does the trimming. This might prevent the tearing by eliminating the extra weight on the paper.
In this situation, the goal for the team can best be accomplished by:
- asking for more time to complete the project.
- buying extra wallpaper to allow for torn pieces.
- continuing to work individually on each room.
- working together on the wallpapering and painting in both rooms.
CorrectWhy this is a Level 3 item:
- There is a single, recognizable item: how to keep the wallpaper from tearing when it is being applied.
- The goal is clear: they need to finish the painting and wallpapering.
- There is no apparent shortage of resources.
- There are no indications that team relations are strained.
- The situation requires recognition and acceptance of the team goal: the painter realizes that the overall goal of finishing the job requires her to set aside her immediate task to help in the problem area. The crew also must identify the problem, persevere in solving it, accept team membership by supporting each other's input, and display dependability by completing the task correctly and on time.