PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
You are managing a project using a predictive approach. A key team member has expressed that they feel micromanaged by you and wants more autonomy. The team member's performance is satisfactory. How should you respond?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'maintaining control' with 'micromanagement' and choose Option B, overlooking that a predictive approach still requires adaptive leadership to retain high-performing team members.
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
✓
Gradually delegate more responsibility and trust the team member to manage their own tasks
It directly addresses the team member's need for autonomy while maintaining project control. In a predictive (waterfall) approach, delegating responsibility gradually allows the team member to demonstrate self-management without risking project deliverables, aligning with the PMI talent triangle's leadership principle of empowering team members.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reassign the team member to a less critical task to minimize risk
Why it's wrong here
This approach is counterproductive to team development and motivation. Reassigning a team member to a less critical task without addressing the root cause of their desire for autonomy is a punitive action, not a solution. It signals a lack of trust and can significantly reduce engagement, leading to decreased productivity and potential attrition. This ultimately increases project risk rather than minimizing it in the long term, as effective project managers empower team members and address concerns through coaching and delegation.
- ✗
Explain that your management style is necessary to keep the project on track
Why it's wrong here
This response demonstrates a lack of emotional intelligence and an unwillingness to adapt leadership style, which is crucial for effective project management. Insisting on a rigid management approach without considering team member input can lead to demotivation, disengagement, and a breakdown in trust within the team. A project manager should adapt their style, such as through situational leadership, to the team's needs and maturity level to foster a collaborative and productive environment, rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach.
- ✗
Ask the team member to provide a detailed plan of how they will manage their own work
Why it's wrong here
While seemingly empowering, requesting a detailed plan from the team member on how they will manage their own work still reflects a degree of micromanagement and a lack of full trust. True delegation involves providing the objective and allowing the team member to determine the 'how,' within agreed-upon boundaries, without requiring excessive oversight or granular planning from them. This approach fails to fully empower the team member and may signal that the project manager is not genuinely ready to relinquish control, hindering their growth.
- ✓
Gradually delegate more responsibility and trust the team member to manage their own tasks
Why this is correct
This is the most effective approach as it aligns with principles of empowerment and servant leadership, even within a predictive framework. Gradually delegating more responsibility demonstrates trust in the team member's capabilities and fosters a sense of ownership and autonomy over their work. This not only boosts their motivation and engagement but also contributes significantly to their professional development. Ultimately, it enhances the team's overall capability and the project's success by leveraging individual strengths and building confidence.
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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.