PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project manager is leading a hybrid project. The team is co-located but the project manager observes that some team members are reluctant to share opposing views during discussions, leading to groupthink. Which TWO actions should the project manager take to foster a culture of constructive debate?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMI often tests the misconception that anonymous voting (Option A) is a valid way to encourage debate, when in fact it avoids the open dialogue needed to surface and resolve conflicting viewpoints.
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
✓
Assign one team member to play the 'devil's advocate' in each meeting to challenge ideas
Assigning a 'devil's advocate' systematically introduces constructive challenge, directly countering groupthink by ensuring every idea is tested. Option C is correct because establishing ground rules that reward respectful disagreement creates a psychological safety net, encouraging team members to voice opposing views without fear of reprisal.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Implement anonymous voting for all decisions
Why it's wrong here
Implementing anonymous voting for *all* decisions, while seemingly promoting honesty, can actually hinder constructive debate and team cohesion. This approach often reduces accountability for opinions expressed and prevents the open discussion necessary to understand underlying reasoning or resolve disagreements collaboratively. For complex project decisions, transparency and direct engagement are typically more effective than anonymous input.
- ✓
Assign one team member to play the 'devil's advocate' in each meeting to challenge ideas
Why this is correct
Assigning a 'devil's advocate' is a highly effective technique for formalizing critical evaluation within a team. This role systematically challenges assumptions, identifies potential risks, and explores alternative viewpoints, ensuring that decisions are thoroughly vetted before commitment. It promotes robust critical thinking and strengthens proposed solutions by proactively addressing weaknesses, without personalizing the disagreement.
- ✓
Establish ground rules that encourage respectful disagreement and reward diverse perspectives
Why this is correct
Establishing clear ground rules that explicitly encourage respectful disagreement and reward diverse perspectives is fundamental for creating a psychologically safe project environment. Such rules empower all team members to voice concerns, offer alternative solutions, and challenge ideas without fear of retribution or marginalization. This fosters an inclusive culture where cognitive diversity is leveraged to achieve superior project outcomes.
- ✗
Make decisions quickly to avoid prolonged debates
Why it's wrong here
Making decisions quickly to avoid prolonged debates is a detrimental approach that often suppresses valuable input and leads to suboptimal project outcomes. Rushing the decision-making process prevents thorough analysis of options, overlooks potential risks, and fails to incorporate diverse perspectives from the team. This can result in costly rework, missed opportunities, and decreased team buy-in, especially in complex hybrid projects.
- ✗
Only ask for opinions from senior team members to streamline discussions
Why it's wrong here
Limiting opinion solicitation solely to senior team members to streamline discussions is counterproductive and undermines effective project management. This practice disenfranchises junior members, stifles innovation, and ignores valuable insights from individuals closer to the technical work or specific problem domains. It reinforces a hierarchical culture that actively suppresses diverse perspectives, leading to less comprehensive solutions and reduced team engagement.
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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.