The answer is to organize virtual team-building activities and encourage video calls for key meetings. This is correct because it directly addresses the root cause of declining collaboration and misunderstandings in a remote team by enhancing non-verbal communication cues and social presence, which are critical for building trust and reducing ambiguity in a hybrid project environment. On the PMP exam, this tests your understanding of the Develop Team process and the use of virtual collaboration tools as outlined in the PMBOK Guide, often appearing as a scenario where a project manager must choose between process-oriented fixes and human-centric solutions. A common trap is selecting a documentation or process change, like updating the communications management plan, which treats a relational problem as a procedural one. Memory tip: when you see “remote cohesion,” think “faces and fun”—video faces for clarity, team fun for trust.
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.
Your project uses a hybrid approach. The team has been working remotely for six months, and you notice a decline in collaboration and an increase in misunderstandings. What is the BEST action to improve team cohesion?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Organize virtual team-building activities and encourage video calls for key meetings
Option B is correct because virtual team-building activities and encouraging video calls directly address the root cause of declining collaboration and misunderstandings in a remote team. Video calls enhance non-verbal communication cues and social presence, which are critical for building trust and reducing ambiguity in a hybrid project environment. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on developing the team and using virtual collaboration tools to foster cohesion.
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.
✗
Increase the frequency of status meetings
Why it's wrong here
More meetings may not improve collaboration and could cause fatigue.
✓
Organize virtual team-building activities and encourage video calls for key meetings
Why this is correct
Virtual team-building and video calls enhance social presence and reduce misunderstandings.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Request that team members relocate to a central office for the remainder of the project
Why it's wrong here
Relocation is a drastic and likely impractical solution.
✗
Send a detailed communication protocol to all team members
Why it's wrong here
A protocol is useful but does not directly improve interpersonal connections.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Option A (increase status meetings) because they mistake information sharing for collaboration, failing to recognize that misunderstandings in remote teams are typically due to lack of social bonding and non-verbal cues, not insufficient updates.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a hybrid or remote team, social cohesion relies on 'media richness theory'—video calls provide higher bandwidth for non-verbal cues (facial expressions, tone) compared to email or chat, reducing misinterpretation. Virtual team-building activities, such as online games or collaborative workshops, leverage 'social identity theory' to create a shared team identity despite physical distance. This is particularly important in agile or hybrid frameworks where frequent, high-trust interactions are needed for effective collaboration and conflict resolution.
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: Organize virtual team-building activities and encourage video calls for key meetings — Option B is correct because virtual team-building activities and encouraging video calls directly address the root cause of declining collaboration and misunderstandings in a remote team. Video calls enhance non-verbal communication cues and social presence, which are critical for building trust and reducing ambiguity in a hybrid project environment. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on developing the team and using virtual collaboration tools to foster cohesion.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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