- A
Escalate the issue to the functional managers to enforce collaboration.
Why wrong: Escalation may undermine team ownership and not address underlying issues.
- B
Facilitate a team-building session to align on shared project goals and improve collaboration.
Directly addresses conflicting priorities by aligning team members on common objectives.
- C
Reassign tasks to individuals based on their department strengths to minimize conflict.
Why wrong: Does not resolve collaboration issues; may reinforce silos.
- D
Request replacement of non-collaborative team members with more cooperative ones.
Why wrong: Drastic and may not be possible; avoids resolving the conflict.
Question 537 of 892
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 project manager is leading a cross-functional team that includes members from different departments with conflicting priorities. The project is at risk of delays due to team members not collaborating effectively. What is the best approach for the project manager to resolve this issue?
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 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
✓
Facilitate a team-building session to align on shared project goals and improve collaboration.
Option B is correct because facilitating a team-building session directly addresses the root cause of the conflict—misaligned priorities—by fostering shared understanding and commitment to project goals. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on conflict resolution through collaboration and team charter development, which improves cross-functional cooperation without bypassing the team's autonomy.
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.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the functional managers to enforce collaboration.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation may undermine team ownership and not address underlying issues.
- ✓
Facilitate a team-building session to align on shared project goals and improve collaboration.
Why this is correct
Directly addresses conflicting priorities by aligning team members on common objectives.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Reassign tasks to individuals based on their department strengths to minimize conflict.
Why it's wrong here
Does not resolve collaboration issues; may reinforce silos.
- ✗
Request replacement of non-collaborative team members with more cooperative ones.
Why it's wrong here
Drastic and may not be possible; avoids resolving the conflict.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose escalation (A) or task reassignment (C) because they seem like quick fixes, but the PMP exam rewards proactive, collaborative leadership that addresses the root cause of conflict rather than avoiding or delegating it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In cross-functional teams, conflicting priorities often stem from differing departmental objectives (e.g., marketing wants speed, engineering wants stability). A team-building session leverages techniques like the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument to shift from competing to collaborating, and it aligns with the PMI Talent Triangle's leadership skill of emotional intelligence. Real-world application: a project manager for a software rollout used a shared vision workshop to get QA and development to agree on a definition of 'done,' reducing rework by 30%.
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
People — Leading Projects — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
People — Leading Projects practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PMP questions
892 questions across all exam domains
- →
Project Management Professional PMP study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PMP practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PMP practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
People — Leading Projects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to People — Leading Projects.
Process — Managing Technical Aspects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Process — Managing Technical Aspects.
Business Environment — Strategy and Value practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment — Strategy and Value.
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment: strategy and project benefits.
PMP fundamentals practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP fundamentals.
PMP scenario practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP scenario.
PMP troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PMP practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
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: Facilitate a team-building session to align on shared project goals and improve collaboration. — Option B is correct because facilitating a team-building session directly addresses the root cause of the conflict—misaligned priorities—by fostering shared understanding and commitment to project goals. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on conflict resolution through collaboration and team charter development, which improves cross-functional cooperation without bypassing the team's autonomy.
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 →
Keep practising
More PMP practice questions
- During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a completed user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteri…
- During a daily standup, a developer mentions she is blocked by a dependency from another team. The issue was not previou…
- A project manager is leading a digital transformation initiative. Midway through the project, a new regulation is introd…
- Your project is a large infrastructure build. You have completed the planning phase, but the sponsor has put pressure on…
- You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner reque…
- Your agile project has been experiencing declining velocity over the last three sprints. During the retrospective, the t…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.