Teamwork and Communication
Teamwork items test communication under mild pressure: a missed instruction, an unclear handoff, a disagreement over how to do a task. The best answer is usually the one that verifies information before acting and assumes the least.
Concepts to know cold
- Closed-loop communication: the receiver repeats the instruction back and the sender confirms. This is how you catch "load 40 boxes" heard as "load 14."
- Active listening: paraphrase and ask a specific question. Nodding while planning your reply is not listening.
- Handoffs: who, what, where, how many, by when, and what is still open. Written beats verbal for anything countable.
- Chain of command: solve routine issues at the lowest level; escalate when safety, a deadline, or a policy conflict is at stake.
- Conflict: address the behavior, not the person; in private first; state the impact plainly.
Traps
Wrong answers include telling a coworker they are wrong in front of the crew, going over a supervisor's head for a trivial matter, or doing nothing and hoping it resolves. Also suspect "always" and "never," and any option that offers to cover for someone. A common trap is choosing the polite answer when the stem needs the safe one.
Rule of thumb
Clarify, then act; escalate, then record. If an instruction is ambiguous, ask before you move product.
Worked example: A coworker says a pallet is "all going to Dock 4," but you notice two pallets carry different route tags. You do not split the load on a guess. You repeat the instruction back, point out the conflicting tags, get the destination confirmed in writing, then move it.