The correct answer is to empower the team to make decisions within agreed boundaries and check in periodically. This is correct because a team in the performing stage of Tuckman’s model operates with high trust, autonomy, and self-organization, so micromanagement would disrupt their flow and damage morale. Empowering them leverages their maturity, while periodic check-ins provide necessary oversight without undermining their independence, aligning with servant leadership principles. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of situational leadership and the Tuckman ladder—specifically, that performing-stage teams require delegation, not direction. A common trap is choosing “assign a temporary leader,” which implies a regression to the storming stage. To ensure team productivity when the project manager is on vacation, remember the memory tip: “Performing teams need permission, not protection.”
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A project team is in the performing stage of development. The project manager is leaving for a two-week vacation. What is the best way to ensure the team remains productive?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Empower the team to make decisions within agreed boundaries and check in periodically.
Option D is correct because the team is in the performing stage, characterized by high autonomy, trust, and self-organization. Empowering the team to make decisions within agreed boundaries leverages their maturity and maintains productivity, while periodic check-ins provide necessary oversight without micromanagement. This approach aligns with the Tuckman model and servant leadership principles, ensuring the team remains effective in the project manager's absence.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Appoint a temporary project manager to oversee the team.
Why it's wrong here
The team is capable of self-management; a new manager may reduce efficiency.
✗
Ask the team to pause all non-urgent decisions until your return.
Why it's wrong here
May cause unnecessary delays and reduce team autonomy.
✗
Schedule daily status calls to monitor progress.
Why it's wrong here
Too intrusive and may undermine team's self-sufficiency.
✓
Empower the team to make decisions within agreed boundaries and check in periodically.
Why this is correct
Leverages the performing stage's maturity and maintains productivity.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the misconception that a performing team still requires direct oversight or a formal leader replacement, when in fact the correct approach is to empower the team and trust their established processes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In the performing stage of Tuckman's model, team members are highly competent, collaborative, and capable of resolving conflicts independently. The project manager should transition from a directing role to a supporting role, using delegation and empowerment to maintain high performance. Real-world application includes setting clear decision-making boundaries (e.g., budget limits, scope constraints) and using periodic check-ins (e.g., weekly stand-ups) to monitor progress without stifling autonomy, which is critical for sustaining velocity in agile or hybrid environments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Empower the team to make decisions within agreed boundaries and check in periodically. — Option D is correct because the team is in the performing stage, characterized by high autonomy, trust, and self-organization. Empowering the team to make decisions within agreed boundaries leverages their maturity and maintains productivity, while periodic check-ins provide necessary oversight without micromanagement. This approach aligns with the Tuckman model and servant leadership principles, ensuring the team remains effective in the project manager's absence.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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