PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
Your project team is distributed across three time zones. A team member from the India office has been consistently delivering tasks late, impacting the critical path. When you discuss this, they mention feeling isolated and unmotivated due to lack of interaction with the rest of the team. What is the BEST action to take?
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 regular one-on-one virtual meetings to mentor and understand their challenges
The root cause of the performance issue is the team member feeling isolated and unmotivated. The project manager should first address this through supportive and coaching actions. Scheduling regular one-on-one virtual meetings (Option B) demonstrates emotional intelligence and servant leadership. It allows the project manager to understand the team member's challenges, provide mentoring, and work together to find ways to increase motivation and integration with the rest of the team. This approach aligns with PMI's emphasis on building a high-performing team by addressing individual needs. Option A (warning) is punitive and disregards the underlying cause. Option C (reassignment) might temporarily protect the critical path but does not solve the isolation issue; it could further demotivate the team member and hinder team cohesion. Option D (working extra hours) risks burnout and is not a sustainable solution. Therefore, Option B is the best choice.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Formally warn the team member and put them on a performance improvement plan
Why it's wrong here
This approach is punitive and fails to address the potential underlying issues contributing to the team member's challenges, especially in a distributed environment. A formal warning can significantly damage trust, morale, and psychological safety, making the team member feel targeted and further isolated rather than supported. It bypasses the critical step of understanding the root cause of any performance gaps, which could stem from communication barriers, lack of integration, or time zone difficulties.
- ✓
Schedule regular one-on-one virtual meetings to mentor and understand their challenges
Why this is correct
This is the most effective and empathetic approach for a project manager dealing with a distributed team member. Regular one-on-one meetings provide a dedicated forum to build rapport, actively listen to the team member's specific challenges, offer mentorship, and identify potential root causes such as communication gaps, feelings of isolation, or specific technical impediments. This proactive engagement fosters trust, demonstrates support, and allows for tailored solutions that improve individual performance and overall team cohesion.
- ✗
Reassign the tasks to another team member in a different time zone
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning tasks without first understanding and addressing the team member's difficulties is a short-sighted solution that can exacerbate the problem. This action can lead to decreased morale, a sense of being undervalued, and further isolation for the original team member, hindering their development and engagement. Furthermore, simply reassigning to another team member in a different time zone does not inherently solve potential communication or coordination challenges, and could simply shift the problem rather than resolve it.
- ✗
Ask the team member to work extra hours to catch up on missed deadlines
Why it's wrong here
This is an unsustainable and counterproductive solution that focuses on symptoms rather than root causes. Demanding extra hours without addressing the underlying reasons for missed deadlines, such as communication barriers, lack of support, or workload imbalance, will inevitably lead to burnout, decreased quality of work, and reduced team morale. A project manager should prioritize sustainable work practices and problem-solving over temporary, high-stress fixes.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Project Management Plan
A formal, approved document that defines how a project is executed, monitored, controlled, and closed, serving as the single source of truth for the project team.
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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