PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
You are leading a globally distributed agile team. During the daily stand-up, you notice that the team member in India consistently speaks little compared to others, while the US-based members dominate the conversation. What should you do to foster inclusion?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates choose Option C (asking the quiet member directly) because it seems proactive and empathetic, but PMI expects a process-based solution that addresses the team dynamic rather than singling out an individual, which could violate the principle of respect and create a hostile environment.
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
✓
Implement a round-robin format where each team member shares updates in turn
Implementing a round-robin format ensures equitable participation by structurally requiring each team member to speak in turn, directly addressing the imbalance caused by time zone and cultural differences. This technique fosters inclusion by removing the dominance of louder voices and giving the quieter team member a dedicated, safe opportunity to contribute, which aligns with the agile principle of self-organizing teams and the PMI Talent Triangle's emphasis on leadership and team management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Let the team continue as is, as it is a natural dynamic
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring an imbalance in participation within an agile team, particularly during a daily stand-up, contradicts the core agile principles of transparency and collective ownership. Allowing a few members to dominate while others remain silent leads to disengagement, suppresses valuable diverse perspectives, and prevents the team from fully leveraging its collective intelligence. This approach risks missing critical updates or impediments from quieter members, thereby hindering effective collaboration and progress and failing to address the underlying team dynamic.
- ✓
Implement a round-robin format where each team member shares updates in turn
Why this is correct
Implementing a round-robin format directly addresses the issue of unequal participation by systematically ensuring every team member has an explicit turn to share updates. This structured approach promotes psychological safety, encourages quieter members to contribute, and prevents a few dominant voices from monopolizing the discussion. By guaranteeing equal airtime, round-robin fosters a more inclusive environment, enhances transparency regarding individual progress and impediments, and reinforces the team's collective accountability in daily stand-ups.
- ✗
Ask the quiet team member directly why they are not speaking
Why it's wrong here
Directly asking a quiet team member why they are not speaking during a public forum like a daily stand-up can create significant discomfort and put them on the spot, potentially exacerbating their reluctance to participate. This approach can be perceived as confrontational, undermining psychological safety and trust within the team. Instead of encouraging participation, it risks further isolating the individual and discouraging future contributions, which is counterproductive to fostering an inclusive agile environment.
- ✗
Reduce the frequency of the daily stand-up to once a week
Why it's wrong here
Reducing the frequency of the daily stand-up to once a week fundamentally undermines the agile principle of daily synchronization and rapid impediment identification. This action does not address the root cause of unequal participation; instead, it merely reduces the opportunities for any team member to contribute, regardless of their speaking habits. Weekly stand-ups diminish the team's ability to adapt quickly, maintain transparency on daily progress, and collaboratively resolve issues in a timely manner, thereby hindering overall sprint goals.
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