PMP · Question #1168
A project team member was unhappy with a new change in project governance and complained to one of the project sponsors. The project sponsor challenged the project manager. How should the project mana
The correct answer is B. Arrange a meeting with the project team member and project sponsor to discuss the change and. To resolve a conflict between a team member and project sponsor regarding a governance change, the project manager should facilitate a direct meeting to foster open discussion and understanding.
Question
Options
- ASchedule a meeting with the project team member's functional manager and request the
- BArrange a meeting with the project team member and project sponsor to discuss the change and
- CExplain to the sponsor why the change is required and get their support in forcing the project
- DDiscuss how to manage this conflict with the project management office (PMO) and let them
How the community answered
(51 responses)- A4% (2)
- B82% (42)
- C12% (6)
- D2% (1)
Why each option
To resolve a conflict between a team member and project sponsor regarding a governance change, the project manager should facilitate a direct meeting to foster open discussion and understanding.
Involving the functional manager might escalate the issue unnecessarily and does not directly address the conflict between the team member, sponsor, and project manager.
Facilitating a direct meeting between the project team member and the sponsor allows for open communication, active listening, and a chance to discuss concerns and rationale directly, promoting a collaborative resolution.
Forcing the change through the sponsor without addressing the team member's concerns directly is an authoritarian approach that can lead to resentment and disengagement, rather than resolution.
Delegating the conflict to the PMO avoids the project manager's responsibility for conflict resolution and may delay or depersonalize the issue.
Concept tested: Conflict resolution and stakeholder communication
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Yusuf A.Mar 2, 2026B is correct here. My senior always says when a team member goes around you to a sponsor, you bring everyone into the same room and hash it out directly, which is exactly what B does instead of escalating or forcing the issue.
Hiroshi T.Mar 5, 2026B is correct per PMBOK Guide 6th edition, section 9.5.2.2, where the PMBOK frames it as Collaborate/Problem Solve, though I would note that the senior is describing the technique informally, the exam will key on the collaborative problem-solving language rather than the room-and-hash-it-out phrasing.
Wei W.Feb 19, 2026B is the right call because direct, face-to-face conversation is almost always the preferred conflict resolution approach on these exams. Getting the team member and sponsor in the same room to discuss the governance change promotes transparency and lets the PM address concerns empirically rather than escalating or forcing compliance. Options A and D push the conflict sideways to other parties, which just delays resolution, and C is coercive. Curious though, does anyone know if the exam always treats the sponsor as someone who should be in the room for these discussions, or does that assumption shift depending on whether the conflict is purely internal to the
Hiroshi T.Mar 8, 2026Confirmed B. PMBOK section 7.3.5 ranks collaborate/problem-solve as the preferred conflict resolution technique.
Luis F.Feb 8, 2026Gotta be C here. The PM owns governance changes so you need to get the sponsor on your side and have them back the decision, otherwise team members will keep going around you to sponsors every time they dont like something.
Wei W.Feb 9, 2026Actually it is B. The exam wants you to facilitate a conversation with the team first, because governance shifts best when the people doing the work understand and shape the change rather than having it handed down through the sponsor.