PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project manager is leading a Scrum team. The product owner frequently changes priorities mid-sprint, causing the team to lose focus and miss sprint goals. The team is frustrated. What should the project manager do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often choose Option A (adding a buffer) because it seems pragmatic, but it violates Scrum's time-boxing and fails to address the underlying stakeholder behavior, which is a key agile coaching responsibility.
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
✓
Coach the product owner on Scrum rules and the impact of mid-sprint changes on team focus
In Scrum, the product owner should not change priorities during a sprint; the sprint backlog is frozen once the sprint starts. The project manager, acting as a servant leader, should coach the product owner on Scrum rules and explain how mid-sprint changes disrupt team focus and jeopardize sprint goals. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder management and agile principles.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add a buffer in the sprint to accommodate potential changes
Why it's wrong here
Adding a buffer to the sprint to accommodate potential changes is a reactive measure that normalizes undesirable behavior rather than addressing its root cause. This approach undermines the core Scrum principle of sprint stability and the team's commitment to a sprint goal, encouraging the Product Owner to continue introducing mid-sprint changes. It ultimately reduces predictability, obscures true velocity, and prevents the team from focusing on delivering a defined increment.
- ✓
Coach the product owner on Scrum rules and the impact of mid-sprint changes on team focus
Why this is correct
Coaching the Product Owner on Scrum rules and the detrimental impact of mid-sprint changes on team focus is the most appropriate initial action. As a Project Manager or Scrum Master, it is crucial to educate stakeholders about the importance of sprint commitment, the disruption caused by scope creep, and how it affects team morale, predictability, and the ability to achieve the sprint goal. This proactive communication fosters understanding and adherence to agile principles.
- ✗
Ask the team to accommodate the changes since the product owner has authority
Why it's wrong here
Asking the team to accommodate changes simply because the Product Owner has authority misinterprets Scrum roles and violates the team's sprint commitment. While the Product Owner manages the Product Backlog, the Development Team commits to the Sprint Backlog, and mid-sprint changes disrupt their self-organization and focus. Forcing such accommodations demotivates the team, undermines their autonomy, and can lead to burnout and decreased quality.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor to intervene
Why it's wrong here
Escalating the issue to the project sponsor to intervene is a premature step and should be reserved as a last resort. The Project Manager's primary responsibility in an agile environment is to facilitate communication and resolve impediments at the team level first. Bypassing direct coaching and conflict resolution opportunities undermines the team's ability to self-manage and learn, indicating a failure to exhaust internal solutions before involving higher authority.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Training and Development
Training and Development is the process of enhancing team members' skills, knowledge, and competencies to improve project performance and achieve career growth.
Key term
Project Management Plan
A formal, approved document that defines how a project is executed, monitored, controlled, and closed, serving as the single source of truth for the project team.
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