PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
You are leading a virtual team across three continents. Team members have expressed feeling isolated and disconnected from the project. Which TWO actions would best help build team cohesion and trust?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers choose Option C (newsletter) because it seems like a simple way to keep everyone informed, but they overlook that team cohesion requires two-way interaction and emotional connection, not just information dissemination.
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
✓
Schedule weekly virtual coffee chats or informal video calls for non-work interactions
Option A is correct because scheduling weekly virtual coffee chats or informal video calls creates deliberate social interaction, which humanizes remote colleagues, reduces the isolation reported by the team, and builds interpersonal trust beyond task-focused exchanges. Option D is correct because a team charter that explicitly defines communication norms, response times, and preferred collaboration tools removes ambiguity across three continents, prevents misunderstandings caused by differing expectations, and gives distributed members a shared, predictable framework they can rely on. The remaining options do not fit: B is wrong because forcing identical core hours across three continents is impractical, harms work-life balance, and can increase resentment rather than cohesion; C is wrong because a one-way weekly email newsletter shares information but does not create the two-way interaction or relationship-building needed to counter isolation; and E is wrong because assigning a mentor from a different region may add value for onboarding but does not systematically build trust and cohesion across the whole team.
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 weekly virtual coffee chats or informal video calls for non-work interactions
Why this is correct
Scheduling weekly virtual coffee chats or informal video calls directly addresses the challenge of leading a virtual team across continents by fostering social cohesion. These non-work interactions build trust, empathy, and psychological safety among team members, which are crucial for effective collaboration and conflict resolution in a distributed environment. It proactively mitigates the feeling of isolation inherent in remote work by creating opportunities for personal connection beyond project tasks, strengthening team bonds.
- ✗
Require everyone to work the same core hours regardless of time zone
Why it's wrong here
Mandating uniform core hours for a team spread across three continents is impractical and detrimental to team morale and productivity. This approach forces some members to work during their night hours, leading to burnout, reduced engagement, and potential resentment, directly violating principles of sustainable project management and team well-being. It fails to leverage the benefits of asynchronous work and exacerbates, rather than alleviates, the challenges of time zone differences and feelings of isolation.
- ✗
Send a weekly email newsletter with project updates and achievements
Why it's wrong here
A weekly email newsletter is a one-way communication tool primarily focused on information dissemination, not interaction or relationship building. While useful for status updates and acknowledging achievements, it does not facilitate the two-way dialogue, spontaneous interactions, or personal connections essential for fostering team cohesion and trust in a virtual setting. It fails to address the emotional and social needs of a distributed team, which are critical for mitigating isolation and building a strong team identity.
- ✓
Create a team charter that includes communication norms, response times, and preferred collaboration tools
Why this is correct
A team charter is a foundational document that explicitly defines the team's operating guidelines, including how members will communicate, expected response times, and agreed-upon collaboration tools. For a virtual, multi-continental team, this clarity is paramount to prevent misunderstandings, manage expectations across diverse work cultures, and ensure efficient information flow. It establishes a shared understanding of professional conduct and operational procedures, thereby enhancing team cohesion and reducing potential friction points by setting clear boundaries.
- ✗
Assign a mentor to each new team member from a different region
Why it's wrong here
Assigning individual mentors is beneficial for onboarding and professional development, particularly for new team members integrating into a diverse, virtual environment. However, this strategy primarily focuses on individual support and knowledge transfer rather than fostering collective team cohesion or addressing widespread feelings of isolation across the entire group. While valuable for individual growth and integration, it does not create the broad, informal social connections or shared team identity necessary for a high-performing distributed team.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This PMP question is part of Courseiva's 820-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.