The answer is the norming stage, and you should encourage constructive conflict to counter groupthink. This is correct because the team has been together for three months and is gelling, which signals they have moved past storming into norming, where harmony and cohesion increase. However, the lack of open disagreement and rushed decisions without considering alternatives are classic symptoms of groupthink, a common risk during the team development stages norming phase. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to recognize that norming is not the final goal—it requires active facilitation to prevent premature consensus. A frequent trap is assuming that smooth collaboration means no intervention is needed, but the exam expects you to know that norming demands deliberate encouragement of diverse viewpoints to ensure robust decision-making. Memory tip: think “Norming needs Nurturing” to remember that this stage requires you to foster healthy debate, not just enjoy the calm.
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 team has been working together for three months and has started to gel. However, you notice that the team is not openly sharing differing opinions during meetings, and decisions are being made too quickly without considering alternatives. What stage of team development is the team likely in, and what should you do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The team is in the norming stage; encourage constructive conflict and diverse viewpoints.
The team has been together for three months and is gelling, indicating they have moved past the storming stage into norming. However, the lack of open disagreement and rushed decisions without considering alternatives is a classic sign of groupthink, which is a risk in the norming stage. The correct action is to encourage constructive conflict and diverse viewpoints to prevent premature consensus and ensure robust decision-making.
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.
✗
The team is in the forming stage; organize team-building activities.
Why it's wrong here
The symptoms suggest norming, not forming.
✓
The team is in the norming stage; encourage constructive conflict and diverse viewpoints.
Why this is correct
Encouraging healthy debate prevents groupthink and improves decisions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The team is in the storming stage; facilitate conflict resolution.
Why it's wrong here
Storming involves open conflict; here, conflict is avoided.
✗
The team is in the performing stage; let them continue as they are.
Why it's wrong here
In performing, the team handles conflict well; here they avoid it.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the lack of conflict with the performing stage, but the key clue is 'decisions being made too quickly without considering alternatives,' which signals groupthink in norming, not the high-functioning autonomy of performing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Tuckman's model identifies norming as the stage where team members agree on norms, roles, and processes, but this can lead to groupthink—a phenomenon where the desire for harmony overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives. In project management, groupthink can cause poor decisions, such as selecting a suboptimal technical solution or underestimating risks, because dissenting opinions are suppressed. Encouraging constructive conflict, such as using a 'devil's advocate' or structured debate techniques, helps the team critically evaluate options without damaging cohesion.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: The team is in the norming stage; encourage constructive conflict and diverse viewpoints. — The team has been together for three months and is gelling, indicating they have moved past the storming stage into norming. However, the lack of open disagreement and rushed decisions without considering alternatives is a classic sign of groupthink, which is a risk in the norming stage. The correct action is to encourage constructive conflict and diverse viewpoints to prevent premature consensus and ensure robust decision-making.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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