- A
Reassign the team member to a less critical task to minimize risk
Why wrong: This is a punitive reaction that does not address the issue and may reduce engagement.
- B
Explain that your management style is necessary to keep the project on track
Why wrong: Ignoring the team member's feelings can lead to demotivation. The PM should adapt.
- C
Ask the team member to provide a detailed plan of how they will manage their own work
Why wrong: This still involves control. The PM should show trust without excessive oversight.
- D
Gradually delegate more responsibility and trust the team member to manage their own tasks
Empowering the team member boosts motivation and shows confidence in their abilities.
Question 176 of 892
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.
You are managing a project using a predictive approach. A key team member has expressed that they feel micromanaged by you and wants more autonomy. The team member's performance is satisfactory. How should you respond?
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
✓
Gradually delegate more responsibility and trust the team member to manage their own tasks
Option D is correct because it directly addresses the team member's need for autonomy while maintaining project control. In a predictive (waterfall) approach, delegating responsibility gradually allows the team member to demonstrate self-management without risking project deliverables, aligning with the PMI talent triangle's leadership principle of empowering team members.
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 a less critical task to minimize risk
Why it's wrong here
This is a punitive reaction that does not address the issue and may reduce engagement.
- ✗
Explain that your management style is necessary to keep the project on track
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the team member's feelings can lead to demotivation. The PM should adapt.
- ✗
Ask the team member to provide a detailed plan of how they will manage their own work
Why it's wrong here
This still involves control. The PM should show trust without excessive oversight.
- ✓
Gradually delegate more responsibility and trust the team member to manage their own tasks
Why this is correct
Empowering the team member boosts motivation and shows confidence in their abilities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'maintaining control' with 'micromanagement' and choose Option B, overlooking that a predictive approach still requires adaptive leadership to retain high-performing team members.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This still involves control. The PM should show trust without excessive oversight.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In predictive project management, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) define clear roles, but autonomy can be introduced through delegation of specific work packages. The key is to use a 'graduated autonomy' approach: start with low-risk tasks, provide clear acceptance criteria, and increase scope as trust builds. This mirrors the Situational Leadership II model, where a team member at the 'S4' (delegating) readiness level requires minimal direction and high support.
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.
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: Gradually delegate more responsibility and trust the team member to manage their own tasks — Option D is correct because it directly addresses the team member's need for autonomy while maintaining project control. In a predictive (waterfall) approach, delegating responsibility gradually allows the team member to demonstrate self-management without risking project deliverables, aligning with the PMI talent triangle's leadership principle of empowering team members.
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.
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 24, 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.