The correct first step is to call a brief break, then meet privately with the two developers to facilitate a resolution. This approach directly addresses the conflict using servant leadership principles, which prioritize de-escalation and private stakeholder engagement over public debate, thereby preserving team morale and allowing the sprint review to resume productively. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of conflict management within a hybrid framework, where the project manager must balance agile ceremonies with traditional authority; a common trap is choosing to mediate publicly or ignore the issue to save time. Remember the mnemonic “Break, Talk, Resume” — always separate the parties first, facilitate privately, then return to the agenda.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 the project manager for a hybrid software development project. During a sprint review, two senior developers get into a heated argument about the technical approach for a critical feature. The argument is delaying the review and making other team members uncomfortable. What should you do FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Call a brief break, then meet privately with the two developers to facilitate a resolution
Option D is correct because, as a project manager in a hybrid environment, your first responsibility is to address the conflict directly and privately to de-escalate the situation without disrupting the sprint review. By calling a brief break and meeting privately with the two developers, you facilitate a resolution using conflict management techniques, which aligns with the PMI's emphasis on servant leadership and stakeholder engagement. This approach preserves team morale and allows the review to continue productively after the issue is resolved.
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 both developers to stop arguing and continue the review
Why it's wrong here
This does not resolve the underlying conflict and may suppress important issues.
✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for resolution
Why it's wrong here
Escalation is unnecessary; the PM should handle team conflicts directly.
✗
Cancel the sprint review and reschedule it for the next day
Why it's wrong here
This avoids the problem and delays feedback, which is not effective.
✓
Call a brief break, then meet privately with the two developers to facilitate a resolution
Why this is correct
PMI recommends addressing conflict privately and facilitating a collaborative solution.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
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 it maintains focus on the review, but this ignores the need to resolve the conflict's root cause, which is a key principle in the PMP's People domain.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In hybrid project management, the project manager acts as a facilitator and servant leader, using techniques like active listening and conflict resolution to address technical disagreements. The PMBOK Guide emphasizes that unresolved conflicts can lead to reduced productivity and increased turnover, so addressing them early through private meetings is critical. Real-world scenarios often involve developers with strong opinions on architecture (e.g., microservices vs. monolithic), and a facilitated discussion can lead to a compromise or a decision based on project constraints like scalability or time-to-market.
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 practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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: Call a brief break, then meet privately with the two developers to facilitate a resolution — Option D is correct because, as a project manager in a hybrid environment, your first responsibility is to address the conflict directly and privately to de-escalate the situation without disrupting the sprint review. By calling a brief break and meeting privately with the two developers, you facilitate a resolution using conflict management techniques, which aligns with the PMI's emphasis on servant leadership and stakeholder engagement. This approach preserves team morale and allows the review to continue productively after the issue is resolved.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the daily standup, two senior developers engage in a heated argument about the technical approach for a user story. The argument is consuming valuable time and escalating. What should you do FIRST?
medium
A.Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for immediate intervention
✓ B.Schedule a private meeting with both developers after the standup to facilitate a resolution
C.Decide on the technical approach yourself to resolve the conflict quickly
D.Ignore the argument and move on to other team members' updates
Why B: Option B is correct because the project manager's role in a self-managing Scrum team is to facilitate conflict resolution without imposing decisions. By scheduling a private meeting after the standup, you allow the developers to resolve the technical disagreement collaboratively, preserving team autonomy and avoiding disruption to the daily Scrum's timebox. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and conflict management techniques like 'collaborating' or 'problem-solving'.
Variation 2. You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the daily stand-up, two senior developers get into a heated argument about the technical approach for a user story. The sprint goal is at risk. What should you do FIRST?
medium
A.Report the conflict to the product owner and ask for a decision
B.Intervene immediately and decide the technical approach to resolve the conflict
C.Cancel the stand-up and schedule a separate meeting to resolve the issue
✓ D.Ask the developers to resolve the conflict after the meeting and escalate if they cannot
Why D: Option D is correct because the Scrum framework empowers the development team to self-organize and resolve technical disagreements. The project manager should facilitate the team's autonomy by asking the developers to resolve the conflict after the stand-up, escalating only if they cannot reach a consensus, thus protecting the sprint goal without imposing a top-down decision.
Variation 3. You are leading a global software development project with team members in three different time zones. Recently, two senior developers from different locations have been in conflict over the design approach for a critical component. The conflict has started to affect team morale and productivity. What should you do FIRST?
medium
✓ A.Schedule a meeting with both developers to discuss the issue and find a mutually agreeable solution.
B.Decide on the design approach yourself to end the conflict quickly.
C.Escalate the issue to the sponsors and ask them to intervene.
D.Reassign the developers to different tasks to avoid further conflict.
Why A: Option A is correct because, as the project manager, your first responsibility is to address interpersonal conflicts directly and collaboratively. Scheduling a meeting with both developers to discuss the issue and find a mutually agreeable solution aligns with the PMI's emphasis on conflict resolution techniques like 'collaborating/problem-solving,' which seeks a win-win outcome. This approach preserves team morale and productivity by involving the stakeholders in the decision, rather than imposing a solution or avoiding the problem.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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