The correct answer is to explicitly invite the developer to share and reassure that all ideas are valued. This immediate, direct invitation addresses the root cause of the hesitation—fear of criticism—by modeling the very behavior that builds psychological safety. In the PMP context, this tests the Servant Leadership principle and the Team Performance Domain, where the project manager actively creates an environment of trust. A common trap is choosing a delayed action, like scheduling a private follow-up, which fails to address the in-the-moment barrier and misses the chance to publicly reinforce safety. When encouraging a hesitant team member to share, the first step is always a public, explicit invitation that signals openness. Memory tip: think “Invite First, Reassure Fast”—the immediate verbal cue breaks the silence and sets the cultural tone.
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.
During a team meeting, a junior developer hesitates to share an innovative idea due to fear of criticism. The project manager notices this and wants to foster a culture of psychological safety. What should the project manager 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
✓
Explicitly invite the developer to share and reassure that all ideas are valued.
Option B is correct because the project manager's first action should be to directly invite the hesitant developer to share their idea in the moment, explicitly stating that all ideas are valued. This immediate, public invitation and reassurance directly addresses the fear of criticism and models psychological safety, which is a foundational behavior for fostering an innovative team culture. In the PMP context, this aligns with the 'Servant Leadership' principle and the 'Team Performance Domain,' where the PM actively creates an environment of trust and safety.
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.
✗
Move on to the next agenda item to avoid discomfort.
Why it's wrong here
Avoiding the issue does not build a safe environment.
✓
Explicitly invite the developer to share and reassure that all ideas are valued.
Why this is correct
Directly inviting and reassuring promotes psychological safety.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Assign the developer a task to present the idea next week.
Why it's wrong here
This may increase pressure rather than reduce fear.
✗
Privately praise the developer for past contributions.
Why it's wrong here
While positive, it doesn't directly encourage sharing in the meeting.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose option D (private praise) because it feels like a 'safe' or 'nice' action, but the PMP exam emphasizes that the first step in fostering psychological safety must be a direct, public, and inclusive invitation to speak, not a private, indirect reward.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Psychological safety, as defined by Amy Edmondson, is the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. In project management, this is operationalized through immediate, inclusive behaviors like the one in option B, which directly lowers the interpersonal risk for the team member. A real-world scenario where this matters is in agile retrospectives, where a team member's fear of criticism can prevent surfacing critical process improvements, leading to stagnation and missed opportunities for continuous improvement.
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: Explicitly invite the developer to share and reassure that all ideas are valued. — Option B is correct because the project manager's first action should be to directly invite the hesitant developer to share their idea in the moment, explicitly stating that all ideas are valued. This immediate, public invitation and reassurance directly addresses the fear of criticism and models psychological safety, which is a foundational behavior for fostering an innovative team culture. In the PMP context, this aligns with the 'Servant Leadership' principle and the 'Team Performance Domain,' where the PM actively creates an environment of trust and safety.
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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