PMP · Question #1247
A project team member does not submit the project status report on time. The team member is frustrated about being required to complete the report. The team member believes that the report does not…
The correct answer is A. Review the requirements of the report with the team member to redefine its purpose. The project manager should address the team member's frustration by reviewing and redefining the purpose and requirements of the report to improve its relevance and perceived value. This addresses the root cause of the team member's resistance.
Question
A project team member does not submit the project status report on time. The team member is frustrated about being required to complete the report. The team member believes that the report does not reflect the reality of the project, has too many pages, and will not be read by stakeholders. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AReview the requirements of the report with the team member to redefine its purpose.
- BInstruct the team member to provide the report and document this in the performance review.
- CReassign the report to another team member to prepare and submit it as requested.
- DEscalate to the team member's functional manager that the report was not submitted as
How the community answered
(34 responses)- A82% (28)
- B3% (1)
- C6% (2)
- D9% (3)
Why each option
The project manager should address the team member's frustration by reviewing and redefining the purpose and requirements of the report to improve its relevance and perceived value. This addresses the root cause of the team member's resistance.
By reviewing the report's requirements with the team member, the project manager engages the individual in problem-solving and can uncover legitimate concerns about the report's utility or efficiency. This collaborative approach helps redefine the report's purpose, making it more effective and reducing team member frustration, which directly impacts compliance and quality of reporting.
Simply instructing the team member and documenting a performance issue does not address the underlying concerns about the report's value or efficiency and can further demotivate the team member.
Reassigning the report without addressing the core issues merely transfers the problem to another team member, potentially creating similar frustrations or delays elsewhere.
Escalating to the functional manager is a punitive measure that fails to resolve the systemic issues with the report or the team member's legitimate concerns.
Concept tested: Stakeholder engagement and communication management
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/engagement-strategies
Topics
Community Discussion
7
Anjali D.Jan 7, 2026A is the right call here. Our group landed on A because the real issue is that the team member thinks the report is useless, so reviewing and redefining its purpose addresses the root cause instead of just forcing compliance or escalating.
Prof. SaraJan 7, 2026Spot on, and mapping this to the Communication Management plan helps because reviewing purpose with the stakeholder is a collaboration technique, not just a documentation update.
Prof. SaraDec 13, 2025A is correct, confirmed on exam last week. This maps to People Domain Task 2 (lead a team), where the PM first seeks to understand resistance and clarify expectations rather than jumping straight to punitive escalation. Use my mnemonic ACT: Address concerns first, Clarify purpose, then Take action if behavior continues.
Brenda K.Dec 30, 2025A is the fast pick, under 30 seconds. B is the trap for anyone in punish mode, but PMP wants collaboration first, so review and refine the report requirements with the frustrated team member.
Anjali D.Dec 31, 2025Agreed on B, and the complementary angle is that the PMBOK process for Manage Communications explicitly calls for reviewing and updating communication methods when stakeholder engagement shifts, so you are not just being collaborative, you are following process.
Yuki V.Dec 18, 2025A is the right call here. The team member is pushing back because they think the report is useless, so the PM needs to address that root cause rather than just forcing compliance. B is tempting if you come from a command-and-control background, but on the PMP exam that approach almost never wins. The phrasing in A is a little clunky with "redefine its purpose," but the idea is that you sit down, revisit why the report exists, and make sure it actually serves the stakeholders. I remembered this type of question by tying it to the servant leadership mindset the exam pushes,
Prof. SaraDec 18, 2025Good call on A and the servant leadership tie-in, but the cleanest way to remember this one is the COLLABORATE mnemonic I teach for Domain 3: the PM addresses resistance by Clarifying Objectives and Listening first, which is exactly what redefining the purpose with the team member accomplishes.