The correct first action is to schedule a meeting with the sponsor to review the communication management plan and roles. This is the right step because the core issue is a breakdown in project governance: the sponsor is bypassing the project manager’s authority and assigning tasks directly to a team member, which violates the agreed-upon communication and escalation protocols. By addressing the sponsor directly and revisiting the plan, you reaffirm the formal channels for task assignment and priority setting, aligning with PMBOK’s emphasis on managing stakeholder expectations and enforcing the project’s framework. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to handle stakeholder interference without escalating prematurely or confronting the team member; a common trap is to immediately clarify priorities with the confused team member, but that treats the symptom, not the root cause. Remember the memory tip: “Sponsor skipping you? Review the plan—don’t fix the team first.”
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.
During a project status meeting, a sponsor mentions that they have been directly assigning tasks to a team member without going through you. The team member is now confused about priorities. 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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Schedule a meeting with the sponsor to review the communication management plan and roles
Option A is correct because the first step in resolving a communication breakdown is to address the root cause: the sponsor is bypassing the project manager's authority and the established communication management plan. By scheduling a meeting with the sponsor to review the plan and their roles, you reaffirm the agreed-upon escalation and task assignment processes, which is a proactive, professional approach aligned with PMBOK's principles of managing stakeholder expectations and enforcing the project's governance framework.
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.
✓
Schedule a meeting with the sponsor to review the communication management plan and roles
Why this is correct
Direct communication to reinforce the agreed-upon process is the correct first step.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Report the sponsor's behavior to the PMO or senior management
Why it's wrong here
This could damage the relationship without first attempting to resolve it directly.
✗
Tell the team member to ignore the sponsor's requests
Why it's wrong here
This could create conflict and does not resolve the communication breakdown.
✗
Update the team member's task list to include the sponsor's assignments
Why it's wrong here
This accepts the bypassing behavior without addressing the process violation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option B (escalation) because they assume the sponsor is acting maliciously, but the PMP exam emphasizes first attempting direct, respectful communication to resolve the issue before escalating.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The communication management plan, as defined in PMBOK, specifies who can assign work, how tasks are prioritized, and the escalation path for conflicts. In practice, a sponsor's direct task assignment often indicates a lack of clarity on the project manager's role as the single point of accountability for work authorization. A subtle behavior here is that the sponsor may not realize they are violating the plan; a collaborative review meeting can re-align expectations without creating adversarial dynamics, which is critical for maintaining stakeholder trust.
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: Schedule a meeting with the sponsor to review the communication management plan and roles — Option A is correct because the first step in resolving a communication breakdown is to address the root cause: the sponsor is bypassing the project manager's authority and the established communication management plan. By scheduling a meeting with the sponsor to review the plan and their roles, you reaffirm the agreed-upon escalation and task assignment processes, which is a proactive, professional approach aligned with PMBOK's principles of managing stakeholder expectations and enforcing the project's governance framework.
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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