PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
In a hybrid project, the development team is self-organizing but a senior developer consistently misses sprint commitments. The product owner is frustrated. What should the project manager do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse self-organization with laissez-faire management, assuming the PM should never intervene, when in fact the PM must actively support the team's performance while respecting its autonomy.
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
✓
Have a private conversation with the developer to understand challenges and offer support
In a hybrid project with a self-organizing team, the project manager should first address performance issues through coaching and support rather than bypassing team autonomy. Option D is correct because a private conversation allows the PM to understand root causes (e.g., technical debt, unclear requirements, or personal blockers) and offer targeted help, preserving the team's self-management while resolving the sprint commitment gap.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Inform the product owner that the team self-manages and the issue will resolve itself
Why it's wrong here
In a hybrid project, while agile teams are self-organizing, the Project Manager retains accountability for facilitating team performance and removing impediments. Dismissing a potential issue by relying solely on self-management without investigation is a dereliction of the PM's servant leadership duty. The PM should actively support the team, not assume problems will spontaneously resolve, especially when individual performance might be impacting the team.
- ✗
Reassign the developer to less critical tasks
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning a developer to less critical tasks is a premature and potentially punitive action without first understanding the root cause of the performance issue. As a servant leader, the Project Manager's initial responsibility is to investigate, coach, and support team members. Such a reassignment could demotivate the developer, erode trust, and fail to address underlying challenges, rather than fostering a collaborative problem-solving environment.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the functional manager
Why it's wrong here
Escalating an issue to a functional manager prematurely bypasses the Project Manager's primary role in conflict resolution and team support. The PM should first attempt to resolve team member challenges directly through communication and coaching, leveraging their servant leadership skills. Escalation is typically reserved for situations where the PM's direct efforts have failed, or if the issue falls outside the project's scope of influence, to avoid unnecessary external intervention.
- ✓
Have a private conversation with the developer to understand challenges and offer support
Why this is correct
As a servant leader in a hybrid project environment, the Project Manager's initial and most effective action is to engage in a private, one-on-one conversation with the developer. This approach demonstrates empathy and respect, allowing the PM to understand any underlying challenges, impediments, or personal issues affecting performance. By offering support and coaching, the PM can collaboratively identify solutions, remove obstacles, and reinforce team cohesion, aligning with the principles of effective team management.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.