PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
During a project retrospective, the team identifies that low morale is affecting productivity. As a servant leader, which THREE actions should the project manager take to address this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'addressing low morale' with 'controlling productivity' (Option B) or 'finding fault' (Option D), failing to recognize that servant leadership requires removing obstacles and empowering the team, not imposing external controls or blame.
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
✓
Provide opportunities for professional development and training.
Providing professional development and training directly addresses low morale by investing in the team's growth, which aligns with the servant leader's focus on empowering and supporting the team. This action fosters a sense of value and career progression, counteracting the root cause of low morale rather than just its symptoms.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Provide opportunities for professional development and training.
Why this is correct
This strategy directly addresses potential skill gaps or feelings of stagnation, which can contribute to low morale. By investing in professional development and training, the project manager demonstrates a commitment to the team's growth and future, enhancing individual capabilities and fostering a sense of value. This proactive approach boosts confidence, improves job satisfaction, and can lead to increased motivation and engagement in project tasks.
- ✗
Implement a strict performance monitoring system to track productivity.
Why it's wrong here
Implementing a strict performance monitoring system is generally counterproductive for addressing low morale. Such an approach often creates an atmosphere of distrust and micromanagement, leading to increased stress, reduced autonomy, and a focus on metrics rather than genuine contribution or collaboration. This can further erode team morale by making members feel like cogs in a machine, rather than valued professionals.
- ✓
Recognize and celebrate team achievements, both big and small.
Why this is correct
Recognizing and celebrating team achievements is a powerful motivator that directly combats low morale by validating effort and contributions. This practice reinforces positive behaviors, creates a sense of accomplishment, and fosters a positive team culture where members feel valued and appreciated. Consistent recognition, even for small milestones, significantly boosts psychological safety and encourages continued engagement and high performance.
- ✗
Assign blame for the low morale to specific team members.
Why it's wrong here
Assigning blame to specific team members for low morale is a highly detrimental and counterproductive approach. This action erodes trust, fosters a defensive environment, and prevents the team from openly discussing and resolving underlying systemic issues that contribute to morale problems. Effective project management focuses on problem-solving and collective improvement, not scapegoating individuals.
- ✓
Empower the team to make decisions about their work processes.
Why this is correct
Empowering the team to make decisions about their work processes significantly boosts morale by fostering a sense of ownership and autonomy. When team members have a voice in how their work is done, it leverages their expertise, increases accountability, and enhances job satisfaction. This approach demonstrates trust in the team's capabilities, leading to greater engagement and motivation to achieve project objectives.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PMP question from scratch — 800 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.