PMP · Question #1390
A new project manager is initiating a project and realizes the team members are all very rigid, unwilling to change, and constantly state that they have been running projects successfully for years…
The correct answer is D. Engage with the team to explain the risks of using the old approach and gain support for the agile. When facing a team resistant to adopting an agile approach despite its necessity, the project manager should engage directly with the team to explain the benefits of the new approach and collaboratively address their concerns.
Question
A new project manager is initiating a project and realizes the team members are all very rigid, unwilling to change, and constantly state that they have been running projects successfully for years. The project manager realizes that the project will be at risk if the team does not adopt an agile approach. What should the project manager do?
Options
- ARealize the team is in the forming stage and that, as the team moves toward the performing
- BSchedule a meeting with the project sponsor to request that management support the team's
- CRecognize the team is historically successful and decide to allow the team to continue as they
- DEngage with the team to explain the risks of using the old approach and gain support for the agile
How the community answered
(23 responses)- A4% (1)
- B9% (2)
- C22% (5)
- D65% (15)
Why each option
When facing a team resistant to adopting an agile approach despite its necessity, the project manager should engage directly with the team to explain the benefits of the new approach and collaboratively address their concerns.
While team development stages exist, simply waiting for the team to evolve through stages like 'forming' does not address the immediate risk of resistance to a critical methodological change; active intervention is required.
Escalating to the project sponsor for management support is a premature action; the project manager should first attempt to resolve the issue directly with the team before involving higher authority.
Ignoring the identified risk by allowing the team to continue with a potentially unsuitable 'old approach' would be irresponsible, as the project manager has already recognized the project will be at risk.
The project manager has identified a risk to the project's success due to the team's rigid approach. Engaging with the team directly allows the project manager to communicate the rationale for the agile approach, address their resistance, and build consensus, which is a crucial step in change management and fostering team adoption.
Concept tested: Change management, team engagement, influencing skills
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok
Topics
Community Discussion
4
Wei W.Apr 27, 2026D is the answer here. The team owns their process, so the PM has to engage them directly and make the case empirically rather than forcing change from the top down. Explaining the real risks of the old approach in the context of this specific project opens the door to genuine buy-in, which matters way more than compliance. A and B both assume the PM can just wait or escalate their way past the resistance, and C ignores the stated risk entirely.
Toby R.Apr 20, 2026Picked B first, but PM should engage team directly before escalating to sponsor. D confirmed.
Lena V.Apr 22, 2026D is right but watch for stem variations that say team is unresponsive or timeline is critical, those flip it to B because you escalate instead of waiting.
Lena V.May 13, 2026D on my exam last month, team pushback means engage and explain risks first.