The correct answer is to publicly appreciate individual contributions and involve the team in key decisions. This directly addresses the root cause of demotivation—lack of recognition and empowerment—by applying Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene theory, where recognition and responsibility act as true motivators, while hygiene factors like bonuses only prevent dissatisfaction. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the “Manage Team” process under the People domain, specifically how to rebuild trust and psychological safety after a leadership failure. A common trap is choosing superficial perks like team lunches, which fail to restore ownership. Remember the mnemonic “R&R for PMP”: Recognition and Responsibility revive a demotivated team.
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 new project manager is assigned to an ongoing project. The team seems demotivated because the previous PM did not recognize their contributions. What can the new PM do to motivate the team?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Publicly appreciate individual contributions and involve the team in key decisions
Option A is correct because recognizing individual contributions and involving the team in key decisions directly addresses the root cause of demotivation—lack of appreciation and empowerment. According to the PMBOK Guide's 'Manage Team' process, recognition and involvement in decision-making are key motivators under the 'People' domain, as they foster trust, ownership, and psychological safety. This approach aligns with Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene theory, where recognition and responsibility are true motivators, unlike hygiene factors such as team lunches or monetary bonuses.
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.
✓
Publicly appreciate individual contributions and involve the team in key decisions
Why this is correct
This directly addresses the lack of recognition and empowers the team.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Organize a team lunch to get to know everyone
Why it's wrong here
While team bonding is good, it may not directly address the need for recognition and empowerment.
✗
Focus on project tasks and avoid discussing past issues
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the issue may not rebuild trust or motivation.
✗
Offer monetary bonuses for meeting milestones
Why it's wrong here
Monetary rewards can motivate, but recognition and empowerment are more sustainable and align with PMI's people focus.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose a quick social fix (Option B) or a transactional reward (Option D) because they seem practical, but the PMP exam tests the deeper understanding that sustainable motivation comes from intrinsic factors like recognition and involvement, not from superficial gestures or monetary incentives.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In the PMBOK Guide, the 'Manage Team' process (part of the Executing process group) emphasizes using interpersonal and team skills, including recognition and reward systems, to maintain team motivation. Under the 'People' domain, the exam focuses on servant leadership, where the PM empowers the team by involving them in decision-making and providing meaningful recognition. This is supported by the 'Team Charter' and 'Ground Rules' artifacts, which define how contributions are acknowledged, and by the 'Emotional Intelligence' competency, which requires the PM to address team members' feelings of being undervalued.
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: Publicly appreciate individual contributions and involve the team in key decisions — Option A is correct because recognizing individual contributions and involving the team in key decisions directly addresses the root cause of demotivation—lack of appreciation and empowerment. According to the PMBOK Guide's 'Manage Team' process, recognition and involvement in decision-making are key motivators under the 'People' domain, as they foster trust, ownership, and psychological safety. This approach aligns with Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene theory, where recognition and responsibility are true motivators, unlike hygiene factors such as team lunches or monetary bonuses.
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.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.