PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project manager notices that one team member has been consistently missing deadlines, and their work quality is declining. The team member is otherwise talented and has been with the company for years. What should the project manager do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may jump to 'reassign work' (Option B) as a quick fix, but the PMP exam consistently tests that the first step in performance management is a private, supportive conversation to understand the root cause, not an immediate operational change.
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
✓
Schedule a private meeting with the team member to discuss the performance and offer support
The correct first step is to have a private, supportive conversation to understand the root cause of the performance decline. This aligns with the PMP's 'People' domain, emphasizing servant leadership and addressing performance issues confidentially before escalating. It respects the team member's history and allows for collaborative problem-solving.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Schedule a private meeting with the team member to discuss the performance and offer support
Why this is correct
Scheduling a private meeting is the most appropriate first step, aligning with PMP principles of effective communication and servant leadership. This approach allows the project manager to privately understand the root cause of the team member's performance issues, offer support, and collaboratively develop a corrective action plan. It fosters trust and respect, promoting a positive team environment conducive to problem-solving and performance improvement.
- ✗
Reassign the work to another team member immediately
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning work immediately without prior discussion is a premature and potentially detrimental action. This approach fails to address the underlying performance issue with the original team member, potentially demotivating them further and signaling a lack of support. Furthermore, it risks overburdening another team member, which could lead to new performance problems or resentment within the project team, ultimately hindering overall project efficiency.
- ✗
Ignore the issue, assuming it will resolve itself
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring a team member's consistent underperformance is a passive and irresponsible leadership choice that can have severe repercussions for the project. Unaddressed issues rarely resolve themselves and can escalate, negatively impacting project timelines, budget, quality, and overall team morale. This inaction signals to the team that poor performance is acceptable, potentially eroding accountability and jeopardizing the project's successful completion.
- ✗
Provide negative feedback during the next team meeting as a warning
Why it's wrong here
Providing negative feedback publicly during a team meeting is an inappropriate and counterproductive method for addressing individual performance concerns. Such public criticism can humiliate the team member, damage their self-esteem, and foster resentment, making them less receptive to constructive feedback and less likely to improve. Effective performance management requires private, empathetic, and constructive dialogue focused on specific behaviors, not public shaming or warnings.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
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.
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.
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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.