- A
Offer monetary bonuses for meeting deadlines
Why wrong: Monetary bonuses are typically short-term motivators and may not address the root causes of low morale such as unclear priorities and heavy workload.
- B
Recognize and celebrate team achievements publicly
Recognizing and celebrating achievements publicly provides positive reinforcement, which directly boosts team morale according to motivational theories.
- C
Empower the team to self-organize and make decisions
Why wrong: Empowering the team to self-organize is generally beneficial for long-term motivation, but it does not directly address the immediate issues of unclear priorities and heavy workload.
- D
Ask the team to work overtime to reduce the backlog
Why wrong: Asking the team to work overtime would increase workload and stress, likely worsening morale rather than improving it.
- E
Clarify project priorities and remove non-essential tasks
Clarifying priorities and removing non-essential tasks directly reduces confusion and workload stress, addressing the root causes of low morale.
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 team is struggling with low morale due to a heavy workload and unclear priorities. As a project manager, which TWO actions would BEST help improve team motivation? (Choose two)
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
Recognize and celebrate team achievements publicly
Options B and E are correct. Recognizing and celebrating team achievements (B) directly boosts morale through positive reinforcement, a key motivator according to Herzberg's theory. Clarifying priorities and removing non-essential tasks (E) reduces confusion and workload stress, addressing the root cause of low morale. Option A (monetary bonuses) is not the best here because financial incentives are often short-term and less effective for ongoing motivation. Option C (empowering self-organization) is generally beneficial but does not directly solve the immediate issues of unclear priorities and heavy workload. Option D (overtime) would worsen morale by increasing the workload and stress.
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.
- ✗
Offer monetary bonuses for meeting deadlines
Why it's wrong here
Monetary bonuses are typically short-term motivators and may not address the root causes of low morale such as unclear priorities and heavy workload.
- ✓
Recognize and celebrate team achievements publicly
Why this is correct
Recognizing and celebrating achievements publicly provides positive reinforcement, which directly boosts team morale according to motivational theories.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Empower the team to self-organize and make decisions
Why it's wrong here
Empowering the team to self-organize is generally beneficial for long-term motivation, but it does not directly address the immediate issues of unclear priorities and heavy workload.
- ✗
Ask the team to work overtime to reduce the backlog
Why it's wrong here
Asking the team to work overtime would increase workload and stress, likely worsening morale rather than improving it.
- ✓
Clarify project priorities and remove non-essential tasks
Why this is correct
Clarifying priorities and removing non-essential tasks directly reduces confusion and workload stress, addressing the root causes of low morale.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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: Recognize and celebrate team achievements publicly — Options B and E are correct. Recognizing and celebrating team achievements (B) directly boosts morale through positive reinforcement, a key motivator according to Herzberg's theory. Clarifying priorities and removing non-essential tasks (E) reduces confusion and workload stress, addressing the root cause of low morale. Option A (monetary bonuses) is not the best here because financial incentives are often short-term and less effective for ongoing motivation. Option C (empowering self-organization) is generally beneficial but does not directly solve the immediate issues of unclear priorities and heavy workload. Option D (overtime) would worsen morale by increasing the workload and stress.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 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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