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 three time zones. During a video conference, you notice that one team member from a remote location has not spoken for the entire meeting. In previous meetings, this team member has also been quiet. What should you do to ensure effective collaboration?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Schedule a one-on-one conversation to understand any barriers and encourage participation
Option D is correct because it aligns with the PMP principle of servant leadership and proactive stakeholder engagement. By scheduling a one-on-one conversation, you create a safe environment to identify potential barriers (e.g., time zone fatigue, cultural differences, or technical issues with the virtual platform) that may be inhibiting participation. This approach fosters trust and encourages collaboration without putting the team member on the spot in a group setting.
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.
✗
Ask the team member directly during the meeting why they are not contributing
Why it's wrong here
Publicly asking may intimidate the team member and is not a servant leadership approach.
✗
Assign the team member as the note-taker to ensure they are engaged
Why it's wrong here
Assigning a task may address engagement superficially but does not address underlying communication preferences.
✗
Assume the team member has nothing to contribute and focus on others
Why it's wrong here
Assuming lack of contribution overlooks potential value and does not promote inclusion.
✓
Schedule a one-on-one conversation to understand any barriers and encourage participation
Why this is correct
A private conversation shows empathy and helps identify barriers, aligning with servant leadership.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option A, thinking direct confrontation is 'assertive leadership,' but the PMP exam emphasizes servant leadership and emotional intelligence, which require addressing issues privately and respectfully rather than publicly calling out a team member.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In virtual team management, the concept of 'psychological safety' is critical for effective collaboration. Research by Google’s Project Aristotle found that psychological safety is the top predictor of team effectiveness. A one-on-one conversation allows the leader to apply active listening and empathy, which are key emotional intelligence competencies in the PMP Talent Triangle. Additionally, virtual teams often suffer from 'proximity bias,' where remote members are overlooked; scheduling a private check-in mitigates this bias and ensures equitable participation.
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: Schedule a one-on-one conversation to understand any barriers and encourage participation — Option D is correct because it aligns with the PMP principle of servant leadership and proactive stakeholder engagement. By scheduling a one-on-one conversation, you create a safe environment to identify potential barriers (e.g., time zone fatigue, cultural differences, or technical issues with the virtual platform) that may be inhibiting participation. This approach fosters trust and encourages collaboration without putting the team member on the spot in a group setting.
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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Question Discussion
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