- A
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision
Why wrong: Escalation should be used only when the issue is beyond the PM's authority or resources.
- B
Let the team resolve the conflict on their own without intervention
Why wrong: While self-organization is valued, unresolved conflict can harm team dynamics and productivity.
- C
Decide on the technical approach yourself to move forward quickly
Why wrong: The PM should empower the team and facilitate decision-making, not impose technical solutions.
- D
Intervene, acknowledge both perspectives, and schedule a separate meeting to resolve the conflict
Addressing conflict promptly and privately aligns with PMI's emphasis on conflict management and team cohesion.
Question 810 of 892
Conflict Resolution — Developer Argument in Stand-up
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.
You are managing a hybrid software development project. During the daily stand-up, two senior developers get into a heated argument about the best technical approach for a critical feature. The argument is delaying the meeting and causing tension. As the project manager, 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
✓
Intervene, acknowledge both perspectives, and schedule a separate meeting to resolve the conflict
Option D is correct because, as the project manager in a hybrid project, you must facilitate conflict resolution without imposing a technical decision that exceeds your role. By acknowledging both perspectives and scheduling a separate meeting, you keep the daily stand-up focused on coordination while ensuring the technical debate is resolved by the appropriate experts, preserving team autonomy and project momentum.
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.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision
Why it's wrong here
Escalation should be used only when the issue is beyond the PM's authority or resources.
- ✗
Let the team resolve the conflict on their own without intervention
Why it's wrong here
While self-organization is valued, unresolved conflict can harm team dynamics and productivity.
- ✗
Decide on the technical approach yourself to move forward quickly
Why it's wrong here
The PM should empower the team and facilitate decision-making, not impose technical solutions.
- ✓
Intervene, acknowledge both perspectives, and schedule a separate meeting to resolve the conflict
Why this is correct
Addressing conflict promptly and privately aligns with PMI's emphasis on conflict management and team cohesion.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the project manager's role in conflict resolution with making technical decisions or deferring all conflicts to higher authority, failing to recognize that the PM should facilitate a structured resolution process while keeping the team accountable for technical choices.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In hybrid projects, the daily stand-up is a time-boxed synchronization event, not a problem-solving workshop. Effective conflict resolution follows a structured approach: first, separate the people from the problem (as per PMI's conflict resolution model), then schedule a dedicated technical deep-dive where senior developers can present trade-offs (e.g., performance vs. maintainability) using data or prototypes. This aligns with the 'Servant Leadership' principle, where the PM removes impediments without dictating technical solutions.
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.
Visual reference
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: Intervene, acknowledge both perspectives, and schedule a separate meeting to resolve the conflict — Option D is correct because, as the project manager in a hybrid project, you must facilitate conflict resolution without imposing a technical decision that exceeds your role. By acknowledging both perspectives and scheduling a separate meeting, you keep the daily stand-up focused on coordination while ensuring the technical debate is resolved by the appropriate experts, preserving team autonomy and project momentum.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on PMP
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. You are managing a hybrid project to develop a new mobile app. During the daily stand-up, two senior developers get into a heated argument about the technical approach for integrating a third-party API. The disagreement is causing tension and delaying progress. What should you do FIRST?
medium- A.Ignore the argument and hope it resolves on its own
- B.Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers
- ✓ C.Schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution
- D.Decide on the technical approach yourself and assign tasks accordingly
Why C: Option C is correct because it demonstrates effective conflict resolution by listening to both sides and facilitating a collaborative solution, aligning with the PM's role as a servant leader. Option A (ignore) avoids the conflict, which can worsen tension. Option B (escalate to functional managers) bypasses the team's ability to resolve their own conflict and may erode trust. Option D (decide yourself) is a forcing approach that ignores input and can damage team morale.
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: Jul 4, 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.