PMI-ACP Practice Questions #58
A software development team is working on a new e-commerce platform. The team is co-located in an open office space. Team members overhear ongoing conversations about design decisions, technical challenges, and customer feedback, enabling them to quickly align and address issues without formal meetings.
However, the organization plans to transition to a hybrid work model, where some members will work remotely. What is the best way to leverage osmotic communication in this hybrid environment?
A. Schedule daily hour-long team meetings to ensure everyone is informed of all discussions.
B. Implement strict ground rules requiring team members to document every decision and conversation in a shared repository.
C. Plan weekly co-location sessions to ensure effective knowledge sharing and communication.
D. Utilize tools like virtual team spaces, message boards, and instant messaging to facilitate asynchronous communication.
Analysis
Osmotic communication refers to the unintentional but valuable absorption of information that occurs when team members work in a shared physical space. In an open office environment, overhearing discussions allows team members to stay informed without formal meetings or structured updates.
However, when transitioning to a hybrid work model, this form of communication is disrupted because remote team members miss out on these organic interactions. The best approach is to replicate osmotic communication virtually, using tools that allow continuous, asynchronous interactions where team members can follow discussions and absorb relevant information over time.
The solution should:
- Enable spontaneous and passive knowledge sharing rather than forcing rigid meetings.
- Allow team members to remain updated without needing to be in the same physical space.
- Leverage digital tools to maintain the flow of osmotic communication without requiring everyone’s presence at the same time.
Analysis of Options:
A: Schedule daily hour-long team meetings to ensure everyone is informed of all discussions.
This contradicts the essence of osmotic communication, which is ongoing and passive, not structured and forced. Hour-long meetings interrupt workflows, increase meeting fatigue, and do not provide the flexibility of passive information absorption. This is not a suitable replacement for osmotic communication.
B: Implement strict ground rules requiring team members to document every decision and conversation in a shared repository.
While documentation is useful, forcing strict documentation is not practical for osmotic communication. It does not recreate the natural, informal information flow, and simply storing information in a repository does not guarantee that people will read it. This approach focuses more on formal knowledge management rather than osmotic communication.
C: Plan weekly co-location sessions to ensure effective knowledge sharing and communication.
This may help temporarily, but it does not solve the problem in a hybrid environment where team members need continuous access to informal discussions. Weekly sessions are too infrequent and structured to replicate osmotic communication effectively.
D: Utilize tools like virtual team spaces, message boards, and instant messaging to facilitate asynchronous communication.
This is the best solution as it mimics the natural flow of osmotic communication in a virtual setting. Using chat tools, message boards, and asynchronous platforms, team members can:
- Follow discussions and absorb information at their own pace.
- Join conversations when relevant without disrupting workflows.
- Stay updated even if they are not present in real time.
These tools help replicate the passive knowledge-sharing nature of osmotic communication in a hybrid work model.
Conclusion
The correct answer is Option D, as it ensures that osmotic communication remains intact in a hybrid work environment by using virtual team spaces and asynchronous communication tools. This approach effectively maintains the benefits of informal, continuous knowledge-sharing without requiring structured meetings.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Mindset | Build Transparency |
| Mindset | Foster Psychological Safety |
Topics Covered:
- Enable team members to stay informed of ongoing discussions and decisions.
- Ensure information is easily accessible for both co-located and remote team members.
- Encourage open dialogue in a hybrid setting to ensure everyone feels safe to contribute.
- Enable knowledge sharing through digital tools to replicate osmotic communication across locations.
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