PMP · Question #1079
One of the team members is always late to the daily standup meeting. What should the project manager do?
The correct answer is C. Speak with the team member directly to reinforce the ground rules. A team member consistently arrives late to the daily standup meeting.
Question
One of the team members is always late to the daily standup meeting. What should the project manager do?
Options
- ASchedule the meeting at the end of the day to accommodate everyone.
- BReinforce the ground rules for standup meetings with the entire team.
- CSpeak with the team member directly to reinforce the ground rules.
- DIgnore the situation since the team member is accomplishing their deliverables.
How the community answered
(66 responses)- A14% (9)
- B3% (2)
- C76% (50)
- D8% (5)
Why each option
A team member consistently arrives late to the daily standup meeting.
Rescheduling the meeting to accommodate one person's lateness often inconveniences the entire team and doesn't address the individual's accountability or the root cause of their tardiness.
While reinforcing ground rules with the entire team might be useful in some situations, it can be seen as passive-aggressive or penalizing the whole team for one individual's behavior, potentially damaging team morale without solving the specific problem.
The most direct and effective approach to address a specific team member's recurring lateness is to speak with them directly and privately to understand the reason, reinforce the importance of the ground rules, and discuss expectations. This allows for a targeted solution without making a general issue out of an individual's behavior.
Ignoring the situation can lead to a decline in team discipline, set a poor precedent, erode respect for the project manager, and negatively impact the effectiveness of daily standup meetings.
Concept tested: Team management, conflict resolution, ground rules enforcement
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Zlatan X.Jul 4, 2026C is correct. The PM addresses the issue directly with the individual rather than turning a single attendance problem into a team-wide lecture, which would waste everyone else's time. Option B sounds collaborative but it is passive-aggressive governance and the exam penalizes that. You handle component-level personnel issues at the source so the team's cadence stays healthy without unnecessary friction.
Dervla O.Jul 5, 2026Picked B first because reinforcing ground rules with the whole team sounds like the textbook agile move and avoids singling anyone out. But re-reading the stem, it says one team member is always late, not that the team has a widespread attendance problem. Going team-wide with B when the issue is isolated to one person is passive and indirect. C is correct because the PM addresses the behavior directly with the individual, which is what you do once ground rules are already in place and someone is violating them.
Yusuf A.Jul 5, 2026Picked B first but my mentor said direct issue means direct conversation, so C.
Nina C.Jul 5, 2026Going with A. If the time does not work for everyone, just move it.
Yusuf A.Jul 5, 2026Actually C is the right call here. One of the seniors on my team explained that rescheduling for every conflict doesnt scale, so the proper fix is capturing the meeting recording and sharing it afterward for anyone who couldnt attend.