The correct first step is to schedule a private meeting with the team member to discuss performance issues and offer support. This approach aligns with the PMI People domain’s emphasis on servant leadership, where the project manager’s primary role is to understand root causes—such as unclear requirements or personal challenges—before escalating or reassigning work. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to apply conflict resolution and emotional intelligence in a predictive project environment, where direct, private communication preserves trust and team morale. A common trap is jumping to reassignment or formal escalation, which can damage relationships and ignore the servant-leader mindset. Instead, remember the memory tip: “Private before punitive”—always address underperformance one-on-one with empathy before considering corrective actions.
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.
In a large-scale project using a predictive approach, you discover that a key team member, who is critical for the next deliverable, has been consistently missing deadlines and producing low-quality work. The project is already behind schedule. 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
✓
Schedule a private meeting with the team member to discuss performance issues and offer support
Option A is correct because, as a project manager, your first responsibility is to address performance issues directly with the team member through a private, supportive conversation. This aligns with the PMI People domain's emphasis on servant leadership and conflict resolution, allowing you to understand root causes (e.g., unclear requirements, personal challenges) before taking corrective action. In a predictive project, reassigning tasks or escalating prematurely can damage trust and team morale, while ignoring the issue risks further schedule slippage.
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.
✓
Schedule a private meeting with the team member to discuss performance issues and offer support
Why this is correct
Direct, private conversation allows the PM to understand obstacles and provide coaching or resources.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Reassign the critical tasks to other team members to keep the project on schedule
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning without addressing the root cause may overload others and ignores the performance issue.
✗
Immediately escalate to the team member's functional manager and request a replacement
Why it's wrong here
Escalating without investigation is not the first step; the PM should try to resolve the issue first.
✗
Document the missed deadlines in the performance log and ignore for now
Why it's wrong here
Documentation is important but alone does not address the immediate problem.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to 'escalate to functional manager' (Option C) as a quick fix, but the PMP exam emphasizes that the project manager should first attempt to resolve issues directly with the team member using coaching and support, as per the servant leadership mindset.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In predictive (waterfall) projects, the project manager acts as a servant leader, using techniques like 'Manage Team' (PMBOK Guide 6th Ed., Process 9.4) to assess performance data (e.g., variance analysis from the schedule baseline) and conduct 'individual performance appraisals' (PMBOK Guide 6th Ed., Section 9.4.2.2). The first step is always a private, non-punitive conversation to identify if the issue stems from skill gaps, resource constraints, or unclear acceptance criteria—this aligns with the 'Interpersonal and Team Skills' tool, specifically 'Conflict Management' and 'Emotional Intelligence'. Ignoring or escalating prematurely violates the 'Respect' and 'Fairness' values in the PMI Code of Ethics.
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: Schedule a private meeting with the team member to discuss performance issues and offer support — Option A is correct because, as a project manager, your first responsibility is to address performance issues directly with the team member through a private, supportive conversation. This aligns with the PMI People domain's emphasis on servant leadership and conflict resolution, allowing you to understand root causes (e.g., unclear requirements, personal challenges) before taking corrective action. In a predictive project, reassigning tasks or escalating prematurely can damage trust and team morale, while ignoring the issue risks further schedule slippage.
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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