PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
You are managing a project where an executive stakeholder has been bypassing you and directly giving instructions to the team members. This has caused confusion and rework. What should you do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to updating the plan (Option C) or escalating (Option D) as a quick fix, but the PMP exam prioritizes direct, respectful communication with the stakeholder first, as per the 'manage stakeholder engagement' process.
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
✓
Have a private meeting with the executive stakeholder to discuss the importance of following the communication plan
The first step in resolving a stakeholder bypassing the communication plan is to address the issue directly with the stakeholder in a private, respectful meeting. This aligns with the PMI's principle of managing stakeholders proactively and using the communication plan as a reference to clarify roles and expectations. By discussing the importance of following the established plan, you can resolve the root cause without escalating prematurely or undermining the stakeholder's authority.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Have a private meeting with the executive stakeholder to discuss the importance of following the communication plan
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate first step. It addresses the issue directly with the involved party, demonstrating proactive stakeholder engagement. It allows for a respectful dialogue to understand their perspective while reiterating the established communication protocols and their importance for project success and avoiding miscommunication or scope creep. This aligns with the PMP principle of managing stakeholder expectations and communications effectively.
- ✗
Instruct the team to ignore any instructions that do not come through you
Why it's wrong here
This approach is highly confrontational and unprofessional, potentially damaging team morale and the project manager's relationship with both the team and the executive stakeholder. It shifts the burden of managing an executive's behavior onto the project team and fails to address the root cause of the communication breakdown with the executive directly, leading to further conflict and confusion rather than resolution.
- ✗
Update the communication management plan to require all communications to go through you
Why it's wrong here
While the communication management plan is a living document, unilaterally updating it to restrict executive communication without prior discussion and agreement is unlikely to be effective and could be perceived as an overreach. The core problem is a deviation from an *existing* plan by a specific stakeholder, which is a behavioral issue requiring direct engagement, not a deficiency in the plan itself that necessitates a procedural change.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor and ask them to intervene
Why it's wrong here
Escalating to the project sponsor prematurely, before attempting direct resolution with the executive stakeholder, is generally considered poor practice in project management. It bypasses the opportunity for the project manager to demonstrate leadership and problem-solving skills, and it could strain relationships with both the executive and the sponsor, who typically expects the project manager to first attempt to resolve issues at their level.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This PMP question is part of Courseiva's 800-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.