The answer is to organize team-building activities that focus on collaboration and trust, establish a team charter with shared goals, and create a safe environment for open communication. These three actions directly address the root causes of low trust in a new team by fostering psychological safety, building social bonds, and clarifying expectations—core principles of Tuckman’s forming stage and the PMP’s “Develop Team” process. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the team development lifecycle and the difference between team-level interventions and individual fixes; a common trap is choosing to assign tasks individually or reward top performers, which undermines cohesion. For a new team with low trust, always prioritize collective goal-setting and collaborative activities over individual recognition. Memory tip: think “Charter, Connect, Communicate”—the three Cs to transform a low-trust group into a high-performing 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 project manager is leading a team that is newly formed and includes members from different functional areas. The team is experiencing low trust and reluctance to share ideas. The project manager wants to build a high-performing team. Which THREE actions should the project manager take? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set clear team goals and define success criteria together
Options A, C, and D are correct. Option A fosters psychological safety. Option C helps build social bonds. Option D clarifies goals. Option B is wrong because it does not involve the team. Option E is wrong because it focuses on individuals rather than team cohesion.
Key principle: OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Provide individual rewards for top performers to motivate competition
Why it's wrong here
Individual rewards can undermine teamwork and collaboration.
✗
Assign a mentor from outside the team to guide team members
Why it's wrong here
External mentors may not address internal team dynamics.
✓
Set clear team goals and define success criteria together
Common exam trap: OSPF can fail even when IP connectivity looks correct
OSPF neighbour formation depends on matching areas, timers, network type, authentication and passive-interface behaviour. Do not choose an answer only because the devices can ping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OSPF questions usually test the details that control adjacency and route selection. Read the neighbour state, area, router ID and interface configuration before deciding what is wrong.
KKey Concepts to Remember
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
Router ID selection can affect neighbour relationships and LSDB output.
OSPF cost influences the preferred path.
A route can appear in OSPF information but not become the installed route.
TExam Day Tips
→Check area mismatch first when OSPF adjacency fails.
→Review passive interfaces when a network is advertised but no neighbour forms.
→Use show ip ospf neighbor and show ip route clues carefully.
Key takeaway
OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
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. OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough. 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.
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related PMP OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set clear team goals and define success criteria together — Options A, C, and D are correct. Option A fosters psychological safety. Option C helps build social bonds. Option D clarifies goals. Option B is wrong because it does not involve the team. Option E is wrong because it focuses on individuals rather than team cohesion.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related PMP OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your project team is newly formed, and you notice that members are hesitant to share ideas during meetings. To build a high-performing team, what should you do first?
easy
✓ A.Encourage the team to develop a team charter that defines norms and expectations
B.Assign a note-taker to record all ideas
C.Tell the team that all ideas are welcome and no one will be judged
D.Start each meeting with an icebreaker
Why A: A is correct because a team charter is a foundational tool in project management that establishes shared norms, expectations, and ground rules. By collaboratively developing the charter, the team builds psychological safety and clarity, which directly addresses the hesitation to share ideas. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on forming a high-performing team through agreed-upon behaviors and communication protocols.
Variation 2. A project manager is forming a new virtual team with members from different countries. During the kick-off, the PM wants to build trust and establish norms. Which of the following actions should the PM take FIRST?
easy
A.Assign roles and responsibilities based on each member's functional expertise
B.Schedule weekly virtual coffee chats to encourage informal bonding
C.Send a detailed email outlining the team's ground rules and expectations
✓ D.Facilitate a session to create a team charter that defines communication protocols and values
Why D: Option B is correct because a team charter helps set expectations and norms collaboratively. Option A is wrong because scheduling social events is good but not the first step. Option C is wrong because assigning roles without team input may reduce buy-in. Option D is wrong because setting rules unilaterally does not foster team ownership.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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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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