The correct first step is to have a private, empathetic conversation with the team member to understand any personal or professional challenges. This approach is grounded in the PMP’s servant leadership principle, which prioritizes uncovering root causes before taking corrective action—especially when a previously reliable performer suddenly declines. On the Project Management Professional exam, this scenario tests your ability to apply emotional intelligence and conflict resolution in an agile context, where the first step is always inquiry, not accusation. A common trap is jumping to documentation or task reassignment, which violates the core value of leading with empathy and can erode trust. When you see team member underperformance sprint first step, remember that the PMP expects you to diagnose before you prescribe. Memory tip: “Private chat before paper trail.”
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 sprint, you observe that a team member is consistently underperforming, missing tasks, and producing low-quality work. They have been a reliable performer in the past. 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
✓
Have a private, empathetic conversation with the team member to understand any personal or professional challenges
Option A is correct because the first step in addressing a sudden performance decline from a previously reliable team member is to have a private, empathetic conversation to uncover root causes. This aligns with the PMP's servant leadership approach, which prioritizes understanding personal or professional challenges before taking corrective action. Jumping to documentation or reassignment without this dialogue violates the principle of leading with empathy and could damage trust and team morale.
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.
✓
Have a private, empathetic conversation with the team member to understand any personal or professional challenges
Why this is correct
Private conversation shows empathy and helps identify root causes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Escalate the issue to the functional manager for disciplinary action
Why it's wrong here
The PM should attempt to resolve the issue before involving the functional manager.
✗
Formally document the underperformance and initiate a performance improvement plan
Why it's wrong here
Formal action should only be taken after understanding the cause and attempting to resolve it informally.
✗
Reassign their tasks to other team members to maintain sprint velocity
Why it's wrong here
This avoids the problem and may overload other team members.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the need for immediate corrective action (like documentation or reassignment) with the servant leadership principle of first seeking to understand the root cause through empathetic communication, especially when the team member has a history of reliability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In agile project management, the Scrum Master or project leader acts as a servant leader, not a traditional manager. The first action should always be a one-on-one conversation to uncover impediments, which could range from burnout to personal crises or unclear requirements. This approach is rooted in the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which emphasizes respect, fairness, and responsibility. A real-world scenario might involve a developer whose performance dropped due to a family emergency; a private conversation allows the leader to offer support, such as adjusting workload or providing resources, rather than triggering formal HR processes that could worsen the situation.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: Have a private, empathetic conversation with the team member to understand any personal or professional challenges — Option A is correct because the first step in addressing a sudden performance decline from a previously reliable team member is to have a private, empathetic conversation to uncover root causes. This aligns with the PMP's servant leadership approach, which prioritizes understanding personal or professional challenges before taking corrective action. Jumping to documentation or reassignment without this dialogue violates the principle of leading with empathy and could damage trust and team morale.
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 →
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. A project manager observes that a team member is consistently missing deadlines and producing low-quality work. The project manager suspects it is due to personal issues but the team member is reluctant to discuss. What is the best course of action?
hard
✓ A.Schedule a private one-on-one meeting to discuss performance and offer support.
B.Address the issue in the next team meeting to set expectations.
C.Reassign the team member to less critical tasks.
D.Report the team member to HR for performance improvement plan.
Why A: Option A is correct because it aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Addressing performance issues privately respects the team member's dignity, opens a safe space to discuss potential personal issues, and allows the project manager to offer support or resources without public embarrassment, which is critical for maintaining trust and motivation.
Variation 2. A project manager notices that a team member consistently submits deliverables late. The project manager suspects the team member is overburdened. What should the project manager do first?
easy
A.Reassign the tasks to another team member immediately.
B.Reprimand the team member in the next team meeting as a warning.
✓ C.Schedule a one-on-one meeting to discuss workload and any challenges.
D.Issue a formal written warning about performance.
Why C: Option C is correct because the first step in addressing a potential performance issue is to gather information through a private, respectful conversation. The project manager should schedule a one-on-one meeting to understand the team member's workload and challenges before taking any corrective action, aligning with the PMI's emphasis on servant leadership and emotional intelligence.
Variation 3. During the execution phase of a construction project, you notice that a junior team member is consistently missing deadlines and producing work of lower quality. Other team members have expressed frustration. What is the best approach to address this?
easy
A.Issue a formal warning in writing to document underperformance
B.Immediately reassign the junior member to administrative tasks
✓ C.Schedule a private meeting to discuss performance concerns and offer coaching or additional training
D.Ask other team members to cover the missing deadlines
Why C: The PM should first discuss the issue privately with the team member to understand the root cause and offer support, such as training or resources. This aligns with servant leadership.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
Question Discussion
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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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