PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project is in execution phase, and a team member consistently misses deadlines, impacting the critical path. The project manager has had informal conversations, but the behavior continues. What should the project manager do next?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose Option A (reassign to a less critical task) thinking it is a quick fix to protect the critical path, but the PMP exam expects the project manager to follow the organizational policy for performance issues before considering reassignment or replacement.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Initiate the formal performance management process as per organizational policy
Once informal coaching has failed to correct a performance issue that impacts the critical path, the project manager must escalate to the formal performance management process as defined in the organizational policy. This ensures due process, documentation, and alignment with HR and legal requirements, protecting both the project and the organization.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reassign the team member to a less critical task
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning the member removes them from the critical path without addressing the performance gap, and the project manager lacks authority to unilaterally alter role assignments. It is tempting because it protects the schedule immediately, and it would be correct if the issue were a skills mismatch rather than a conduct problem.
- ✓
Initiate the formal performance management process as per organizational policy
Why this is correct
Informal conversations have failed, so the project manager escalates to the organisation's formal performance management process, documenting the missed deadlines and critical-path impact. This satisfies the stem's requirement for the next step, since progressive discipline moves from coaching to formal procedure once informal correction proves ineffective.
- ✗
Ignore the issue and hope it resolves on its own
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring a persistent critical-path delay leaves the schedule variance unmanaged and breaches the project manager's duty to address performance issues. It is tempting as a low-conflict pause, and would fit a trivial, self-correcting matter with no schedule impact, but here the behaviour recurs and threatens delivery.
- ✗
Replace the team member with a new resource
Why it's wrong here
Replacing the member skips the formal progressive discipline and root-cause analysis the situation demands, and risks losing knowledge while the critical path slips further. It is tempting as a decisive fix, and would be correct only after documented corrective action fails and the resource genuinely cannot meet requirements.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PMP exam.