- A
Implement anonymous voting for all decisions
Why wrong: While anonymous voting can help, it may not foster constructive debate; it's better for sensitive topics.
- B
Assign one team member to play the 'devil's advocate' in each meeting to challenge ideas
This formalizes the challenge process and encourages critical thinking.
- C
Establish ground rules that encourage respectful disagreement and reward diverse perspectives
Clear expectations create a safe environment for dissenting opinions.
- D
Make decisions quickly to avoid prolonged debates
Why wrong: Rushing decisions can suppress valuable input and lead to poor outcomes.
- E
Only ask for opinions from senior team members to streamline discussions
Why wrong: This disenfranchises junior members and reinforces hierarchy.
Quick Answer
The answer is to establish ground rules that encourage respectful disagreement and assign a devil’s advocate. These two actions directly counter groupthink by creating psychological safety and systematically challenging consensus, which forces the team to test every idea for hidden flaws. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of team development and conflict management within the hybrid environment, where co-located teams are especially vulnerable to conformity pressure. A common trap is choosing actions that merely encourage participation without addressing the root fear of reprisal, such as “asking for more opinions” without structural support. Remember the mnemonic “DARE” — Devil’s advocate, Agree on rules, Reward dissent, Evaluate ideas — to recall the core tactics for fostering constructive debate and overcoming groupthink.
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.
A project manager is leading a hybrid project. The team is co-located but the project manager observes that some team members are reluctant to share opposing views during discussions, leading to groupthink. Which TWO actions should the project manager take to foster a culture of constructive debate?
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
Assign one team member to play the 'devil's advocate' in each meeting to challenge ideas
Option B is correct because assigning a 'devil's advocate' systematically introduces constructive challenge, directly countering groupthink by ensuring every idea is tested. Option C is correct because establishing ground rules that reward respectful disagreement creates a psychological safety net, encouraging team members to voice opposing views without fear of reprisal.
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.
- ✗
Implement anonymous voting for all decisions
Why it's wrong here
While anonymous voting can help, it may not foster constructive debate; it's better for sensitive topics.
- ✓
Assign one team member to play the 'devil's advocate' in each meeting to challenge ideas
Why this is correct
This formalizes the challenge process and encourages critical thinking.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Establish ground rules that encourage respectful disagreement and reward diverse perspectives
Why this is correct
Clear expectations create a safe environment for dissenting opinions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Make decisions quickly to avoid prolonged debates
Why it's wrong here
Rushing decisions can suppress valuable input and lead to poor outcomes.
- ✗
Only ask for opinions from senior team members to streamline discussions
Why it's wrong here
This disenfranchises junior members and reinforces hierarchy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the misconception that anonymous voting (Option A) is a valid way to encourage debate, when in fact it avoids the open dialogue needed to surface and resolve conflicting viewpoints.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In hybrid project management, the team operates with both predictive and adaptive elements; fostering constructive debate requires deliberate techniques like the 'devil's advocate' role (a form of dialectical inquiry) and explicit ground rules that align with the Agile principle of 'build projects around motivated individuals' by giving them a safe environment. Real-world application shows that without such structures, co-located teams often fall into 'social loafing' or 'confirmation bias,' where members self-censor to maintain harmony, directly violating the PMI Talent Triangle's leadership dimension.
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
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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: Assign one team member to play the 'devil's advocate' in each meeting to challenge ideas — Option B is correct because assigning a 'devil's advocate' systematically introduces constructive challenge, directly countering groupthink by ensuring every idea is tested. Option C is correct because establishing ground rules that reward respectful disagreement creates a psychological safety net, encouraging team members to voice opposing views without fear of reprisal.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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.
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