The correct first step is to work with the functional managers to reduce the team's external workload. This is the right move because the root cause of the agile team velocity drop due to external workload is the team’s overburden from other departments, and as the project manager lacks direct authority over team members, you must collaborate with the functional managers who control their assignments to negotiate relief. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of servant leadership and the immediate priority of removing impediments before adjusting sprint plans or escalating; a common trap is to jump to re-estimating velocity or escalating to senior management, which skips the collaborative negotiation step. Remember the memory tip: “Root before scope”—fix the external burden first, then reassess the team’s capacity.
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's velocity has dropped for the past three sprints. During the retrospective, team members mention they are overburdened with work from other departments. The project manager is not the team's direct manager. 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
✓
Work with the functional managers to reduce the team's external workload
The correct first step is to address the root cause of the velocity drop—the team's overburden from external work. As the project manager lacks direct authority, you must collaborate with the functional managers who control the team members' assignments to negotiate a reduction in external workload. This aligns with the PMI principle of servant leadership and removing impediments, which is the immediate priority before adjusting plans or escalating.
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.
✗
Re-estimate the backlog to reflect the lower velocity
Why it's wrong here
This addresses symptoms, not the cause.
✓
Work with the functional managers to reduce the team's external workload
Why this is correct
Removing obstacles is a key servant leadership action.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Ask the team to work faster and increase their hours
Why it's wrong here
This is not sustainable and may lead to burnout.
✗
Report the velocity drop to the project sponsor
Why it's wrong here
Reporting without action is not the first step.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to re-estimating or escalating (options A or D) because they focus on the metric (velocity) rather than the people and process issue, forgetting that the PM's first duty is to remove impediments, not adjust plans around them.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Agile, velocity is a measure of throughput, not a target; it should be used for forecasting, not for performance evaluation. The project manager's role as an impediment remover is critical here—by negotiating with functional managers, you apply the 'manage the system, not the people' principle. A real-world scenario: if the team is pulled into production support from another department, the PM might propose a formal resource allocation agreement or a 'no-interruption' time block to protect sprint commitments.
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: Work with the functional managers to reduce the team's external workload — The correct first step is to address the root cause of the velocity drop—the team's overburden from external work. As the project manager lacks direct authority, you must collaborate with the functional managers who control the team members' assignments to negotiate a reduction in external workload. This aligns with the PMI principle of servant leadership and removing impediments, which is the immediate priority before adjusting plans or escalating.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.