PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
Your agile team has been experiencing conflict between two developers over coding standards. The conflict is affecting team morale and productivity. Which TWO actions should you take to resolve the conflict? (Choose TWO)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose Option E (escalation) thinking it follows the 'escalate if unresolved' rule, but the PMP exam expects you to first attempt resolution at the lowest appropriate level (the team) before escalating to management or the sponsor.
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
✓
Collaborate with the team to create or update coding standards
Option D is correct because facilitating a meeting between the two developers directly addresses the root cause of the conflict by giving them a structured, safe forum to discuss their differences and negotiate common ground, which is the recommended servant-leadership approach in agile environments. Option A is correct because collaborating with the whole team to create or update coding standards establishes an agreed, transparent baseline that removes ambiguity and prevents similar disputes from recurring, turning the conflict into a constructive team improvement. Option B is wrong because ignoring the conflict allows it to escalate and continue damaging morale and productivity. Option C is wrong because reassigning the developers merely avoids the problem, disrupts team stability, and does not resolve the underlying disagreement. Option E is wrong because escalating to the project sponsor bypasses the team's ability to self-organize and resolve its own issues, which contradicts agile principles.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Collaborate with the team to create or update coding standards
Why this is correct
This option addresses a potential root cause of conflict stemming from differing technical approaches or lack of clear guidelines. By involving the entire team in defining or refining coding standards, the project manager fosters shared ownership and ensures clarity, reducing ambiguity that often fuels disputes. This proactive approach not only helps resolve the immediate conflict but also builds team cohesion and improves future work quality and consistency.
- ✗
Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves on its own
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring conflict is a passive and ineffective approach that rarely leads to resolution in a professional setting. Unaddressed conflicts tend to fester, escalate, and negatively impact team morale, productivity, and the overall project environment. A project manager's role includes actively managing team dynamics and addressing issues promptly to maintain a healthy and productive agile team.
- ✗
Reassign the developers to different teams
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning developers avoids addressing the underlying cause of the conflict, which could resurface in new teams or with different team members. This action also incurs significant costs related to onboarding, knowledge transfer, and potential disruption to project timelines. Furthermore, it signals an inability to resolve team issues, potentially damaging trust and the project manager's leadership credibility.
- ✓
Facilitate a meeting between the two developers to discuss differences and find common ground
Why this is correct
Direct, facilitated communication is a crucial technique for resolving interpersonal conflicts by providing a structured environment for parties to express their perspectives and actively listen. The project manager acts as a neutral facilitator, guiding the discussion towards understanding, empathy, and the identification of mutually acceptable solutions. This approach empowers the individuals to resolve their differences, strengthening their working relationship and the team's ability to self-organize.
- ✗
Escalate the conflict to the project sponsor
Why it's wrong here
Escalating a team conflict directly to the project sponsor is an overreaction and bypasses the project manager's primary responsibility for team management and conflict resolution. This action should only be considered as a last resort when all other internal resolution attempts have failed, or if the conflict poses a significant, unmanageable risk to the project. Premature escalation can undermine team autonomy and the project manager's authority.
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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.