- A
Work with the team member and IT to provide necessary tools and support
Removing obstacles is a key PM responsibility, especially for remote teams.
- B
Initiate a formal performance improvement plan
Why wrong: This is appropriate only if the issue persists after support is provided.
- C
Reassign her tasks to other team members
Why wrong: This may overload others and does not address the root cause.
- D
Escalate to the functional manager to reassign the team member
Why wrong: Reassignment should be a last resort after support has been tried.
Question 186 of 892
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
You are managing a global project with team members in three time zones. A key team member from the India office has been consistently missing deadlines, impacting the project's critical path. In a one-on-one meeting, you discover she is struggling with the work-from-home setup and lack of collaboration tools. What should you 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 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
✓
Work with the team member and IT to provide necessary tools and support
The correct first step is to address the root cause of the performance issue by providing the necessary tools and support. As a project manager, your primary responsibility is to remove impediments and enable the team member to succeed, especially when the issue is environmental (lack of collaboration tools) rather than a lack of skill or will. This aligns with the PMI's focus on servant leadership and proactive problem-solving.
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.
- ✓
Work with the team member and IT to provide necessary tools and support
Why this is correct
Removing obstacles is a key PM responsibility, especially for remote teams.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Initiate a formal performance improvement plan
Why it's wrong here
This is appropriate only if the issue persists after support is provided.
- ✗
Reassign her tasks to other team members
Why it's wrong here
This may overload others and does not address the root cause.
- ✗
Escalate to the functional manager to reassign the team member
Why it's wrong here
Reassignment should be a last resort after support has been tried.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to punitive or escalatory actions (like a performance improvement plan or reassignment) without first attempting to remove the impediment, confusing a resource constraint with a performance issue.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a global project with distributed teams, collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, or VPN access) are critical for maintaining communication and workflow. The project manager should first conduct a root cause analysis (e.g., using a fishbone diagram) to confirm the issue is environmental, then work with IT to provision the required tools, often involving a change request if the tools are not in the project budget. This approach preserves team morale and avoids unnecessary escalations, which is a key principle in the PMBOK Guide's 'Manage Team' process.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
People — Leading Projects — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
People — Leading Projects practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PMP questions
892 questions across all exam domains
- →
Project Management Professional PMP study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PMP practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PMP practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
People — Leading Projects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to People — Leading Projects.
Process — Managing Technical Aspects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Process — Managing Technical Aspects.
Business Environment — Strategy and Value practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment — Strategy and Value.
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment: strategy and project benefits.
PMP fundamentals practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP fundamentals.
PMP scenario practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP scenario.
PMP troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PMP practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Work with the team member and IT to provide necessary tools and support — The correct first step is to address the root cause of the performance issue by providing the necessary tools and support. As a project manager, your primary responsibility is to remove impediments and enable the team member to succeed, especially when the issue is environmental (lack of collaboration tools) rather than a lack of skill or will. This aligns with the PMI's focus on servant leadership and proactive problem-solving.
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.
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 →
Keep practising
More PMP practice questions
- During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a completed user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteri…
- During a daily standup, a developer mentions she is blocked by a dependency from another team. The issue was not previou…
- A project manager is leading a digital transformation initiative. Midway through the project, a new regulation is introd…
- Your project is a large infrastructure build. You have completed the planning phase, but the sponsor has put pressure on…
- You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner reque…
- Your agile project has been experiencing declining velocity over the last three sprints. During the retrospective, the t…
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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.
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.