PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
You are managing a project where a team member consistently misses deadlines. This has caused frustration among other team members and is affecting the project schedule. What should you do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMP often tests the sequence of actions, and candidates may jump to escalation or replacement without first attempting direct communication and support, which is the preferred first step in team management.
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
✓
Speak with the team member privately to understand the root cause and offer support
The first step when a team member consistently misses deadlines is to speak with them privately to understand the root cause and offer support. This aligns with PMP principles of servant leadership and team development, addressing the issue directly and empathetically before taking more drastic actions. It allows the project manager to identify if the problem is due to lack of skills, resources, personal issues, or unclear expectations, and then take appropriate corrective action.
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's tasks to other team members
Why it's wrong here
This action is premature and addresses the symptom rather than the root cause of the performance issue. Reassigning tasks without understanding why the team member is underperforming can lead to an uneven distribution of workload, potentially overloading other team members and creating new project risks. It also fails to provide an opportunity for the team member to improve or for the project manager to offer necessary support or training.
- ✓
Speak with the team member privately to understand the root cause and offer support
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate first step according to PMP best practices for managing project team performance. A private conversation allows the project manager to gather information, understand potential underlying issues such as lack of skills, personal challenges, or unclear expectations, and offer targeted support or solutions. This approach fosters trust, promotes professional development, and aligns with the "Manage Project Team" process, aiming to resolve conflicts and improve team effectiveness constructively.
- ✗
Remove the team member from the project and request a replacement
Why it's wrong here
Removing a team member without prior investigation or attempts at resolution is an overly drastic and premature action. This decision can lead to significant project disruption, including delays in finding and onboarding a replacement, and potential negative impacts on team morale and productivity. Furthermore, it bypasses the project manager's responsibility to manage and develop team members, potentially escalating a solvable issue into a costly and time-consuming problem.
- ✗
Document the issue in the issue log and escalate to the functional manager
Why it's wrong here
While documenting issues is part of good project management, escalating directly to the functional manager without first attempting to resolve the situation with the team member is inappropriate. PMP principles emphasize direct communication and conflict resolution at the lowest possible level. Premature escalation can undermine the project manager's authority, damage team relationships, and may be perceived as an avoidance of direct management responsibility, rather than a genuine attempt to resolve the performance gap.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Executing Project Work and Managing Changes
Key term
Team Building
Team building is the process of creating a cohesive group of people who work together effectively toward a shared goal.
Key term
Organizational Change Management
Organizational Change Management (OCM) is the structured approach to preparing, supporting, and guiding people through changes in an organization to ensure lasting success.
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 and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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.