The correct first step is to facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and collaboratively develop improvement actions. This approach directly addresses declining sprint velocity and team demotivation by shifting the focus from blame to shared problem-solving, which is a core tenet of servant leadership in agile environments. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the Agile Practice Guide’s emphasis on continuous improvement and team empowerment, often appearing as a trap where test-takers might jump to reassigning tasks or escalating to management. The key is to remember that the project manager’s role is to coach the team through the root cause of the velocity drop—such as technical debt or unclear requirements—rather than imposing a solution. A useful memory tip is “Retro First”: when velocity dips and blame rises, always start with a retrospective to restore ownership and morale before taking any corrective action.
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.
In a large-scale project, the project manager notices that sprint velocity has been declining over the last three sprints. The team is demotivated and blaming each other for missed commitments. 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
✓
Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and collaboratively develop improvement actions
Option B is correct because the first step in addressing declining sprint velocity and team demotivation is to facilitate a retrospective. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and collaborative problem-solving, allowing the team to identify root causes (e.g., technical debt, unclear requirements) and co-create improvement actions, which restores ownership and morale.
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.
✗
Reassign tasks to the highest-performing team members
Why it's wrong here
This does not address the root cause and may increase blame.
✓
Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and collaboratively develop improvement actions
Why this is correct
Retrospectives are key for continuous improvement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Replace the Scrum Master with a more experienced one
Why it's wrong here
This is a quick fix that may not address underlying issues.
✗
Meet with the product owner to reduce the scope of upcoming sprints
Why it's wrong here
This does not address the team dynamics.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to a 'quick fix' like reassigning tasks or reducing scope, confusing symptom management with root cause resolution, which the PMP exam specifically tests by requiring a collaborative, process-oriented first step.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Agile frameworks, the retrospective is a time-boxed event (typically 1-2 hours for a 2-week sprint) where the team inspects its processes and creates a plan for improvements. The PMBOK Guide emphasizes that project managers should act as facilitators, not dictators, using techniques like root cause analysis (e.g., fishbone diagrams) to uncover issues such as unclear definition of done or excessive technical debt. A real-world scenario might involve a team blaming each other for missed commitments, where a retrospective reveals that the product owner is adding unrefined user stories mid-sprint, violating the Scrum Guide's rule of no changes during a sprint.
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: Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and collaboratively develop improvement actions — Option B is correct because the first step in addressing declining sprint velocity and team demotivation is to facilitate a retrospective. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and collaborative problem-solving, allowing the team to identify root causes (e.g., technical debt, unclear requirements) and co-create improvement actions, which restores ownership and morale.
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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