The answer is to schedule weekly virtual coffee chats and informal team events, as this directly addresses the root cause of decreased collaboration and isolation by creating low-pressure social connections. This approach aligns with the PMBOK Guide’s Team Building and Virtual Team Management practices, which emphasize that informal interactions build the interpersonal trust and communication essential for remote team cohesion, unlike formal meetings that often fail to foster bonds. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the “Develop Team” process and the distinction between task-oriented and social team-building activities; a common trap is choosing a formal team charter or status meeting, which does not address isolation. Remember the memory tip: “Coffee builds cohesion, not charts”—when the question highlights isolation and decreased collaboration, prioritize informal social events over structured work sessions.
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 project team has been working remotely for the past six months. You notice that collaboration has decreased, and team members seem isolated. What is the BEST action to improve team cohesion?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Schedule weekly virtual coffee chats and informal team events
Option A is correct because it directly addresses the root cause of decreased collaboration and isolation by creating informal, low-pressure opportunities for team members to connect socially. In a remote environment, formal meetings often fail to build the interpersonal bonds necessary for team cohesion, so virtual coffee chats and informal events are a proven technique from the PMBOK Guide's 'Team Building' and 'Virtual Team Management' practices. This action fosters trust and communication without imposing additional work-related pressure, which is essential for remote 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.
✓
Schedule weekly virtual coffee chats and informal team events
Why this is correct
Regular informal interactions help build relationships and combat isolation in remote teams.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Send a survey to ask team members what they want, then decide later
Why it's wrong here
While gathering input is good, the PM should take proactive action rather than just surveying.
✗
Require all team members to work from the office two days a week
Why it's wrong here
Mandating office attendance may not be feasible or address the root cause of low cohesion.
✗
Increase the frequency of status meetings to ensure accountability
Why it's wrong here
More formal meetings may not improve social connections and could lead to meeting fatigue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'accountability' (Option D) with 'team cohesion,' mistakenly thinking more structured meetings will fix isolation, when in fact they can worsen it by reinforcing a task-focused, impersonal dynamic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, team cohesion in remote environments relies on 'social presence theory' and 'media richness theory'—informal interactions (like virtual coffee chats) provide richer social cues (tone, facial expressions, casual conversation) that build psychological safety and trust. In contrast, status meetings are high in task-related information but low in social presence, which can lead to 'virtual distance'—a measurable decrease in empathy and collaboration. Real-world studies show that remote teams with regular informal check-ins have 20-30% higher engagement and lower turnover.
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 weekly virtual coffee chats and informal team events — Option A is correct because it directly addresses the root cause of decreased collaboration and isolation by creating informal, low-pressure opportunities for team members to connect socially. In a remote environment, formal meetings often fail to build the interpersonal bonds necessary for team cohesion, so virtual coffee chats and informal events are a proven technique from the PMBOK Guide's 'Team Building' and 'Virtual Team Management' practices. This action fosters trust and communication without imposing additional work-related pressure, which is essential for remote 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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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