People — Leading Projects →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question

During a sprint retrospective, the team expresses frustration that they are frequently interrupted by unplanned work from other departments. The project manager wants to improve team focus. What should the project manager do?

⚠ Common exam trap

A common mix-up: candidates choose Option C (adding a daily stand-up) because it sounds like a proactive communication fix, but it fails to address the root cause of unplanned work and instead adds ceremony without solving the interruption problem.

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

✓

Meet with other department managers to negotiate dedicated team time and establish a process for handling requests

It addresses the root cause of the team's frustration by negotiating dedicated team time with other departments and establishing a formal process for handling unplanned work requests. This aligns with the servant leadership approach in the People domain, where the project manager acts as a buffer and facilitator to protect the team's focus and productivity, rather than imposing a technical fix that ignores the systemic issue.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
Increase the sprint duration to accommodate unplanned work
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the sprint duration to accommodate unplanned work is a reactive measure that fails to address the underlying cause of the interruptions. While it might temporarily alleviate pressure, it fundamentally undermines sprint predictability and the ability to forecast work accurately. This approach also risks encouraging more unplanned work by creating an expectation that sprints are flexible, rather than protected timeboxes for committed work, thereby reducing focus and increasing context switching.
✗
Tell the team to ignore unplanned work requests
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the team to simply ignore unplanned work requests is an unrealistic and uncollaborative approach. This tactic would inevitably lead to significant inter-departmental conflicts and could severely damage stakeholder relationships, as critical organizational needs might go unaddressed. A sustainable solution requires a structured process for managing and prioritizing all work, rather than outright dismissal, to ensure organizational alignment and effective resource allocation.
✗
Add a daily stand-up to discuss unplanned work
Why it's wrong here
Adding a dedicated daily stand-up solely to discuss unplanned work merely increases meeting overhead without resolving the root cause of the interruptions. While communication is vital, discussing the problem repeatedly without implementing a systemic solution for intake and prioritization will not prevent new unplanned requests from disrupting the sprint. This approach fails to remove the actual obstacles that prevent the team from focusing on committed sprint goals.
✓
Meet with other department managers to negotiate dedicated team time and establish a process for handling requests
Why this is correct
Meeting with other department managers to negotiate dedicated team time and establish a clear process for handling unplanned requests is the most effective and proactive solution. This demonstrates servant leadership by actively removing organizational impediments that hinder team productivity and focus. By collaborating with stakeholders, a sustainable system can be created to manage expectations, prioritize incoming work, and protect the team's sprint commitment, thereby enhancing predictability and reducing frustration.

Go deeper

PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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