PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project manager is leading a team that is entering the storming stage of team development. Team members are beginning to voice disagreements about roles and responsibilities, and some are challenging the project manager's authority. What should the project manager do to help the team progress to the norming stage?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that a project manager should either avoid intervention or take drastic measures during storming, when in fact active facilitation is needed.
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
✓
Facilitate team-building activities and clarify roles, responsibilities, and working agreements to help the team resolve conflicts.
The project manager should facilitate team-building and clarify roles, responsibilities, and working agreements. This helps the team navigate the storming stage by addressing conflicts constructively and establishing norms for collaboration. It supports the team's progression to norming and eventually performing, aligning with PMP principles of team development and situational leadership.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a directive leadership style to clearly assign roles and responsibilities and enforce compliance.
Why it's wrong here
While some direction may be needed, a purely directive style can stifle the team's ability to work through conflicts and may worsen resistance. The storming stage requires the project manager to facilitate resolution and clarify expectations collaboratively. Overly authoritarian approaches can delay the team's development and reduce morale.
- ✓
Facilitate team-building activities and clarify roles, responsibilities, and working agreements to help the team resolve conflicts.
Why this is correct
During storming, the project manager should help the team navigate conflicts by clarifying roles and responsibilities and establishing working agreements. Team-building activities can improve relationships and trust. This approach guides the team toward norming, where they begin to work collaboratively and accept each other's roles. It aligns with PMP's emphasis on team development stages.
- ✗
Replace the team members who are causing conflict with new members who are more compliant.
Why it's wrong here
Replacing team members is a drastic measure that does not address the root causes of conflict and can disrupt the project. It also ignores the opportunity for the team to grow through the storming stage. The project manager should instead facilitate conflict resolution and team development, as replacing members is rarely the best solution.
- ✗
Avoid intervening and allow the team to resolve conflicts on their own, as this is a natural part of team development.
Why it's wrong here
While some self-resolution is healthy, completely avoiding intervention can allow conflicts to escalate and damage team cohesion. The project manager should actively facilitate the process, providing support and guidance as needed. The PMP expects the project manager to be involved in team development, especially during storming, to ensure constructive outcomes.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Leading Teams and Empowering Team Members
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.
About these practice questions
One of 820 original PMP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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.