PK0-004 · Question #859
A project manager holds weekly project status meetings with the project team and an outside contractor. One of the team members is best friends with the contractor, so discussions often go off…
The correct answer is B. Talk to the team member about keeping personal discussions outside the meeting. The root cause of the meeting disruption is the personal relationship between the team member and the contractor, so addressing that individual directly is the most targeted resolution. Broader structural controls do not resolve the specific interpersonal dynamic.
Question
A project manager holds weekly project status meetings with the project team and an outside contractor. One of the team members is best friends with the contractor, so discussions often go off- track and meetings last longer than planned. Which of the following is the BEST step for the project manager to take to resolve this issue?
Options
- AEstablish what will be discussed before the meeting and ensure the agenda is followed.
- BTalk to the team member about keeping personal discussions outside the meeting.
- CReinforce the established project communication plan.
- DTake charge of the meeting by not allowing side-talking.
How the community answered
(45 responses)- A7% (3)
- B73% (33)
- C16% (7)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
The root cause of the meeting disruption is the personal relationship between the team member and the contractor, so addressing that individual directly is the most targeted resolution. Broader structural controls do not resolve the specific interpersonal dynamic.
Establishing a pre-meeting agenda improves structure but does not address the specific interpersonal relationship that is causing off-topic conversations to occur.
Speaking privately with the team member directly addresses the root cause of the disruption - the personal friendship that is consistently derailing meeting discussions - in a professional and targeted manner. A private conversation sets a clear behavioral expectation without publicly embarrassing the individual or applying restrictive controls on the entire team. This approach is more precise and effective than process-level changes that treat all attendees as the problem.
Reinforcing the communication plan is a broad, policy-level response that does not target the individual behavior responsible for the meeting disruptions.
Prohibiting side-talking is a reactive, in-meeting control that manages symptoms rather than resolving the underlying personal dynamic driving the behavior.
Concept tested: Resolving interpersonal disruptions in project team meetings
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok
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