PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
Your predictive project is halfway through execution. A team member has been consistently missing deadlines, and their work quality is declining. You suspect personal issues but are unsure. The project is at risk of schedule delays. What should you do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to formal documentation or reassignment because they focus on protecting the schedule, but the PMP exam prioritizes people-first leadership and root-cause analysis over immediate task redistribution.
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
✓
Schedule a private meeting to discuss their performance concerns and offer support
The PMBOK Guide emphasizes that the first step in addressing performance issues is to have a private, respectful conversation to understand the root cause. As a project manager, you must demonstrate emotional intelligence and servant leadership by offering support before escalating or penalizing the team member. This approach aligns with the 'Manage Team' process and the principle of leading with empathy, which is critical for maintaining trust and motivation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to human resources for disciplinary action
Why it's wrong here
Initiating immediate disciplinary action by escalating to human resources is premature and bypasses the project manager's primary responsibility for direct team engagement. A PMP's role involves first understanding the root cause of performance issues and attempting resolution through direct communication and support, rather than immediately resorting to punitive measures. Disciplinary action is typically reserved for severe misconduct or after initial, less confrontational interventions have failed to yield improvement.
- ✓
Schedule a private meeting to discuss their performance concerns and offer support
Why this is correct
Scheduling a private meeting is the most appropriate initial step for a project manager addressing team member underperformance. This approach demonstrates empathetic leadership, allowing for a confidential discussion to understand potential underlying causes, such as personal challenges, skill gaps, or project-related obstacles, without public embarrassment. It provides an opportunity to offer targeted support, coaching, or resources, aligning with the PMP's role in fostering a supportive and productive team environment before considering more formal interventions.
- ✗
Formally document the underperformance and issue a performance improvement plan
Why it's wrong here
Formally documenting underperformance and immediately issuing a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is an overly formal and premature response to initial signs of performance issues. A PIP is a structured, often legally significant, intervention typically implemented after less formal attempts at resolution, such as direct conversations and coaching, have proven ineffective. As a PMP, the initial focus should be on collaborative problem-solving and support, not immediately escalating to a formal, potentially demotivating, performance management process.
- ✗
Reassign their tasks to other team members to protect the schedule
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning a team member's tasks to others without first addressing the underlying performance issue is a short-sighted and potentially damaging approach. While it might offer a temporary fix for the schedule, it fails to resolve the root cause of the underperformance, potentially demotivating the individual and signaling a lack of support from the project manager. This action can also burden other team members, create resentment, and prevent the underperforming individual from developing necessary skills or resolving their challenges, ultimately harming long-term team cohesion and project success.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Project Team Management
Project Team Management is the process of leading, coordinating, and supporting a group of people to complete project tasks and achieve project objectives.
Key term
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others to communicate and lead effectively.
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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.