The correct first step is to schedule virtual team-building activities and one-on-one check-ins to understand concerns. This answer is grounded in the PMP’s servant leadership mindset, which prioritizes uncovering the root cause of a problem before jumping to process fixes. When a remote team is disengaged and velocity has dropped, the technical concept at play is that people issues—such as burnout, isolation, or unclear expectations—must be addressed first to restore psychological safety and collaboration, as outlined in the PMI People domain. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between a people-first response and a process-driven trap, like immediately adjusting sprint backlogs or imposing stricter deadlines. A common memory tip is to remember the “People Before Process” rule: when velocity drops and engagement falters, always start with empathetic communication, not metrics manipulation.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Your agile team has been working remotely for the past three months. You notice that sprint velocity has dropped significantly over the last two sprints. Team members seem disengaged during daily stand-ups and collaboration has decreased. 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
✓
Schedule virtual team-building activities and one-on-one check-ins to understand concerns
Option D is correct because the first step in addressing a drop in velocity and team disengagement is to understand the root cause through direct communication. As a servant leader, you should schedule virtual team-building activities and one-on-one check-ins to uncover concerns such as burnout, isolation, or unclear expectations, which aligns with the PMI People domain of leading projects. This approach fosters psychological safety and collaboration, which are essential for remote agile teams.
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.
✗
Implement a new project management tool to track tasks more closely
Why it's wrong here
A new tool may not address engagement or collaboration issues.
✗
Ask the team to work longer hours to make up for lost velocity
Why it's wrong here
This can lead to burnout and further decrease productivity.
✗
Report the velocity drop to the sponsor and ask for more resources
Why it's wrong here
Escalating without first understanding the cause is not proactive.
✓
Schedule virtual team-building activities and one-on-one check-ins to understand concerns
Why this is correct
Improving team cohesion and addressing individual concerns can boost motivation and productivity.
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 confuse a symptom (low velocity) with a process or resource problem, leading them to choose tooling or escalation options, when the correct first step is to investigate the human and team dynamics as a servant leader.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In agile project management, velocity is a measure of work completed per sprint, and a sustained drop often signals team health issues rather than process inefficiencies. The PMBOK Guide emphasizes that the project manager should act as a servant leader, using techniques like active listening and empathy to address team morale before escalating or changing tools. Real-world scenarios show that remote teams frequently suffer from 'Zoom fatigue' and lack of informal communication, which can be mitigated by structured team-building and regular check-ins to rebuild trust and engagement.
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: Schedule virtual team-building activities and one-on-one check-ins to understand concerns — Option D is correct because the first step in addressing a drop in velocity and team disengagement is to understand the root cause through direct communication. As a servant leader, you should schedule virtual team-building activities and one-on-one check-ins to uncover concerns such as burnout, isolation, or unclear expectations, which aligns with the PMI People domain of leading projects. This approach fosters psychological safety and collaboration, which are essential for remote agile teams.
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.
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