The correct first step is to hold a retrospective with the team to identify root causes. This is because a velocity drop in hybrid projects, especially when driven by unclear priorities and context switching, signals a process breakdown rather than a performance issue. The retrospective aligns with the hybrid principle of continuous improvement and servant leadership, empowering the team to collaboratively diagnose and adapt their workflow. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of agile-hybrid frameworks and the correct sequence of response: always diagnose before prescribing. A common trap is to escalate or reassign the product owner prematurely, which bypasses the team’s self-organization and fails to address the underlying friction. Remember the memory tip: “Retro first, fix the process, not the people.”
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.
You are managing a hybrid project. During the last two sprints, velocity has dropped significantly. The team members complain about unclear priorities and frequent context switching. What should you do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Hold a retrospective with the team to identify root causes and improve processes
Option C is correct because the first step in addressing a velocity drop caused by unclear priorities and context switching is to hold a retrospective. This aligns with the hybrid project management principle of continuous improvement and servant leadership, where the team collaboratively identifies root causes and adapts their processes. Reassigning the product owner or escalating prematurely bypasses the team's self-organization and fails to address the underlying issues.
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 product owner and replace with a more decisive person
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning without investigation is drastic and likely not the best solution.
✗
Escalate the velocity drop to the steering committee
Why it's wrong here
Escalating without first understanding the issue bypasses the team and may erode trust.
✓
Hold a retrospective with the team to identify root causes and improve processes
Why this is correct
This is a core agile practice—inspect and adapt. It encourages team ownership and continuous improvement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Ask the team to work extra hours to catch up on the velocity
Why it's wrong here
Mandating overtime is not sustainable and does not address the root cause; it can demotivate the team.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to a corrective action (like replacing the product owner or escalating) without first diagnosing the problem through a retrospective, confusing a symptom (velocity drop) with a root cause (unclear priorities).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In hybrid projects, velocity is a relative measure of work completed per sprint, and a drop often signals process impediments rather than team capability. The retrospective is a formal Scrum event (typically time-boxed to 1.5 hours for a one-month sprint) where the team inspects its processes and creates a plan for improvements. A real-world scenario might involve the team identifying that the product owner is not refining the backlog sufficiently, leading to unclear priorities—this can be resolved by implementing a backlog refinement session before each sprint planning, not by replacing the product owner.
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: Hold a retrospective with the team to identify root causes and improve processes — Option C is correct because the first step in addressing a velocity drop caused by unclear priorities and context switching is to hold a retrospective. This aligns with the hybrid project management principle of continuous improvement and servant leadership, where the team collaboratively identifies root causes and adapts their processes. Reassigning the product owner or escalating prematurely bypasses the team's self-organization and fails to address the underlying issues.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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