PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project manager discovers that a team member has been taking credit for another teammate's work during stakeholder meetings. This has created tension within the team. What should the PM do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often choose Option A (public acknowledgment) thinking it rewards the correct contributor, but PMP exams test the principle that private coaching is the appropriate first step for behavioral issues, not public confrontation or immediate escalation.
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
✓
Speak privately with the team member about the importance of recognizing others' contributions
The project manager should address the issue privately and directly with the team member, focusing on coaching and reinforcing the importance of recognizing others' contributions. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and conflict resolution, where private feedback preserves trust and encourages behavioral change without public embarrassment or escalation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Publicly acknowledge the correct contributor in the next stakeholder meeting
Why it's wrong here
Publicly acknowledging the correct contributor in a stakeholder meeting, while seemingly fair, would likely embarrass the team member who took credit and could severely damage team morale and trust. This approach violates principles of constructive feedback and servant leadership, which prioritize private coaching and development over public shaming. Such an action fosters resentment, creates a hostile work environment, and undermines the project manager's ability to build a cohesive and high-performing team.
- ✗
Ignore the situation as it may resolve on its own
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the situation is a passive approach that allows negative behavior to persist and potentially escalate, directly harming team dynamics and project progress. A project manager has a responsibility to proactively address conflicts and performance issues to maintain a healthy team environment. Unaddressed issues can lead to festering resentment among team members, decreased motivation, and a breakdown of trust, ultimately jeopardizing project objectives and demonstrating a lack of effective leadership.
- ✗
Report the behavior to HR for disciplinary action
Why it's wrong here
Reporting the behavior directly to HR for disciplinary action is a premature and overly aggressive response for a first instance of a team member taking undue credit. The project manager's role includes attempting to resolve team conflicts and performance issues through direct communication and coaching first. Escalating immediately to HR bypasses the PM's primary responsibility for team development and conflict resolution, treating a potentially correctable behavior as a severe disciplinary offense without prior intervention.
- ✓
Speak privately with the team member about the importance of recognizing others' contributions
Why this is correct
Speaking privately with the team member about the importance of recognizing others' contributions is the most appropriate and effective action. This approach aligns with servant leadership and emotional intelligence, allowing the project manager to address the behavior constructively without public humiliation. Private coaching provides an opportunity for the team member to understand the impact of their actions, correct their behavior, and grow professionally, thereby preserving team relationships and fostering a culture of respect and accountability essential for project success.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Project Team Management
Project Team Management is the process of leading, coordinating, and supporting a group of people to complete project tasks and achieve project objectives.
Key term
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution is the process of addressing and resolving disagreements between team members or stakeholders to maintain a productive and collaborative project environment.
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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.