- A
Create a team charter that defines communication norms, meeting times, and preferred collaboration tools
A team charter sets clear expectations and helps align the team.
- B
Schedule regular virtual team-building activities and informal coffee chats
Informal interactions help build relationships and trust in virtual teams.
- C
Encourage team members to use instant messaging for all communication
Why wrong: Informal communication alone may not address the need for structure and connection.
- D
Increase the frequency of status reports to ensure everyone is updated
Why wrong: Status reports are informational but do not build cohesion.
- E
Require all team members to work the same hours regardless of time zone
Why wrong: This may not be feasible and can cause resentment.
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.
You are leading a virtual team across multiple time zones. Team members report feeling disconnected and communication is becoming less effective. Which TWO actions should you take to improve team cohesion and collaboration?
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
Create a team charter that defines communication norms, meeting times, and preferred collaboration tools
Option A is correct because a team charter establishes clear communication norms, meeting times, and collaboration tools, which directly addresses the root cause of disconnection in a virtual team. By defining these expectations upfront, the charter reduces ambiguity and ensures all members are aligned on how and when to communicate, fostering cohesion. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on creating a team charter to set ground rules and improve team performance.
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.
- ✓
Create a team charter that defines communication norms, meeting times, and preferred collaboration tools
Why this is correct
A team charter sets clear expectations and helps align the team.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Schedule regular virtual team-building activities and informal coffee chats
Why this is correct
Informal interactions help build relationships and trust in virtual teams.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Encourage team members to use instant messaging for all communication
Why it's wrong here
Informal communication alone may not address the need for structure and connection.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of status reports to ensure everyone is updated
Why it's wrong here
Status reports are informational but do not build cohesion.
- ✗
Require all team members to work the same hours regardless of time zone
Why it's wrong here
This may not be feasible and can cause resentment.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse increasing communication frequency (Option D) with improving collaboration, or assume that forcing synchronous work (Option E) solves disconnection, when the real solution is structured norms and intentional relationship-building (Options A and B).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A team charter is a formal document that codifies team values, communication protocols, and decision-making processes, often including specific meeting windows (e.g., overlapping hours) and tool selection (e.g., Slack for chat, Zoom for video). In practice, virtual teams benefit from asynchronous collaboration tools like shared documents (e.g., Google Docs) and recorded meetings to accommodate time zone gaps. The charter also helps mitigate the 'social loafing' effect by clarifying individual responsibilities and accountability.
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
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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: Create a team charter that defines communication norms, meeting times, and preferred collaboration tools — Option A is correct because a team charter establishes clear communication norms, meeting times, and collaboration tools, which directly addresses the root cause of disconnection in a virtual team. By defining these expectations upfront, the charter reduces ambiguity and ensures all members are aligned on how and when to communicate, fostering cohesion. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on creating a team charter to set ground rules and improve team performance.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
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