Level 5 Teamwork Sample Item
Scenario:
A small health club employs a receptionist, four instructors, and a custodian. The club opens at 9:00 A.M. The instructors teach aerobics and weightlifting classes during the daytime and early evening hours. The custodian cleans the facilities in the early morning hours before the club opens and does odd jobs during the rest of the day. One of the instructors is a young mother who took the job because she was told that she would be expected to work only during the hours that her children were in school. Another is a college student who takes classes in the mornings and teaches weightlifting classes in the late afternoons and evenings. The other two instructors work a variety of hours. One of these instructors doesn't want to work any additional hours. Although the other one likes earning the extra money, she has commented that the other three instructors take advantage of her willingness to work extra hours and pressure her to work whenever no one else wants to.
The club has received requests from several of its clients for an early morning aerobics class. The manager has told the team to discuss how such a class could be added without hiring any more instructors. At the meeting, several objections are raised. The custodian argues that a class early in the morning would interfere with cleaning the club. The instructor who has the young children says that there is no way she could teach the class because she needs to get her children ready for school at that time. She suggests that perhaps the instructor who is usually eager for extra work could teach the early class. That instructor groans, folds her arms, and does not reply or participate. The college student argues that, since the people requesting this class are already clients, the club will not really be gaining business by starting this class. The receptionist counters that there have been some calls from others about such a class. The fourth instructor is concerned that those clients who have requested this class may go elsewhere if it isn't offered.
As a member of this team, the instructor who usually works the extra hours should:
- suggest that the fairest solution would be for the team to vote on who should teach the early class.
- suggest that the team tell the manager to forget about the early class; it isn't going to work.
- voice her feelings and suggest that the manager reevaluate the whole schedule to see how the class might be covered.
- walk out to protest her hours and let them find a solution without her help.
Correct
Why this is a Level 5 item:
- There are many subtle and competing problems: clients want an early morning class, the manager does not want to hire additional staff, one instructor feels taken advantage of by the other instructors, and the custodian needs time to clean.
- It is not clear how to accomplish the goal of setting up an early morning class.
- Resources are limited: neither an instructor nor space that is not being cleaned is available at that time.
- The team members have several competing concerns: one instructor has childcare, the custodian wants to keep the same cleaning schedule, and two other instructors do not want additional hours.
- This situation requires a person to use skill in decision making by figuring out how to fit the new class into the schedule; to use skill in leadership to keep the discussion productive; to display initiative by showing willingness to try new tasks; and to be assertive by voicing personal convictions.