The correct next step is to consult with human resources to determine the appropriate course of action. This is because when a team member’s performance issues persist despite verbal coaching and involve personal matters, the project manager must follow organizational policies and legal guidelines rather than making unilateral disciplinary decisions. The PMP exam tests your ability to recognize when a problem escalates beyond the project manager’s authority—specifically, when handling underperforming team members requires HR’s expertise to mitigate risk and ensure fairness. A common trap is choosing to issue a formal warning or reassign tasks yourself, but the exam emphasizes that HR is the proper channel for sensitive personnel issues involving personal circumstances. Memory tip: think “P.I.P.”—Personal issues mean Involve People (HR).
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 team member consistently misses deadlines, causing delays for the rest of the team. When you discuss this with them, they cite personal issues but assure you they will improve. However, the pattern continues. What is the BEST next step?
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
✓
Consult with human resources to determine the appropriate course of action
Option B is correct because when a team member's performance issue persists despite verbal coaching and involves personal matters, consulting HR ensures the project manager follows organizational policies and legal guidelines. The PMP emphasizes that the project manager should leverage HR expertise for sensitive personnel issues to mitigate risk and maintain fairness, rather than making unilateral disciplinary decisions.
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.
✗
Reassign the team member to less critical tasks to minimize impact
Why it's wrong here
This avoids addressing the performance issue and may not be fair to the team member.
✓
Consult with human resources to determine the appropriate course of action
Why this is correct
HR can provide guidance on performance management, legal considerations, and support options.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Issue a formal warning and put the team member on a performance improvement plan
Why it's wrong here
This may be premature without understanding all factors; consulting HR first is advisable.
✗
Remove the team member from the project to protect the team's morale
Why it's wrong here
Removal should be a last resort; the PM should first attempt to support improvement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to formal disciplinary actions (Option C) or removal (Option D) because they seem decisive, but the PMP exam requires following organizational process and involving HR before escalating to formal measures.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the PMBOK Guide's 'Manage Team' process, the project manager must address performance issues through a progressive discipline framework that aligns with organizational policies. Consulting HR is a key step in the 'Manage Team' process to ensure that any corrective actions (e.g., PIP, reassignment) are legally defensible and consistent with the organization's code of conduct. In real-world scenarios, failing to involve HR early can lead to wrongful termination claims or grievances, especially when personal issues are cited.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: Consult with human resources to determine the appropriate course of action — Option B is correct because when a team member's performance issue persists despite verbal coaching and involves personal matters, consulting HR ensures the project manager follows organizational policies and legal guidelines. The PMP emphasizes that the project manager should leverage HR expertise for sensitive personnel issues to mitigate risk and maintain fairness, rather than making unilateral disciplinary decisions.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. During a project, a key team member consistently misses deadlines, causing delays. The project manager has had informal conversations with the team member, but the situation has not improved. What should the project manager do next?
medium
✓ A.Schedule a private meeting to discuss the performance gap, identify underlying issues, and create an improvement plan
B.Ignore the issue and adjust the schedule to accommodate the delays
C.Escalate the issue to the functional manager and request a replacement
D.Reassign the task to another team member without discussion
Why A: Option A is correct because the project manager should first address performance issues through direct, private communication to understand root causes and collaboratively develop an improvement plan. This aligns with the PMI People domain, emphasizing servant leadership and coaching to resolve team member performance gaps before escalating or reassigning tasks. The informal conversations have not worked, so a structured approach with clear expectations and support is the next logical step.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
Question Discussion
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