PMP · Question #51
A project manager has been assigned to manage multiple agile project teams. The project manager wants to empower the teams and make them self-organizing. What should the project manager do to create a
The correct answer is A. Help the teams in establishing and adhering to their ground rules and revisit after regular intervals. To foster self-organizing agile teams, the project manager should guide them in creating and regularly reviewing their own ground rules.
Question
A project manager has been assigned to manage multiple agile project teams. The project manager wants to empower the teams and make them self-organizing. What should the project manager do to create a positive environment?
Options
- AHelp the teams in establishing and adhering to their ground rules and revisit after regular intervals
- BCopy the ground rules established by another project and provide them to the teams
- CEstablish the team ground rules and share them with the team for strict adherence
- DExtract the organization's policies and processes, customize them, and give them to the teams to
How the community answered
(39 responses)- A82% (32)
- B10% (4)
- C3% (1)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
To foster self-organizing agile teams, the project manager should guide them in creating and regularly reviewing their own ground rules.
Empowering self-organizing agile teams involves facilitating their ownership of processes, and team-established ground rules are a fundamental aspect of this, which should be revisited periodically for continuous improvement. This approach supports team autonomy and adaptability, core tenets of agile methodologies.
Copying ground rules from another project bypasses the team's need to define their own working agreements, hindering self-organization and buy-in.
Establishing ground rules for the team by the project manager undermines the principle of self-organization and reduces team ownership and commitment.
Providing pre-customized organizational policies, even if customized, does not empower teams to establish their own working agreements and self-organize effectively.
Concept tested: Facilitating team self-organization in agile
Source: https://www.pmi.org/disciplined-agile/agile-glossary/glossary-s#self-organizing-team
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Prof. SaraApr 16, 2026A. Agile teams must own their ground rules for true self-organization, and revisiting them at regular intervals keeps them relevant as the team evolves. C and D are classic traps because they describe a command-and-control mindset, while B ignores that every team has unique dynamics.
Olusegun A.Apr 5, 2026I actually leaned toward C at first because I figured someone had to set the rules, but self-organizing teams need to create their own ground rules or they will never own them. A is the move because the team establishes the rules, and revisiting them at regular intervals is straight out of the agile playbook for continuous improvement.
Mateus R.Apr 21, 2026Saw this exact scenario on my exam last month, and the key was spotting that self-organizing teams have to own their rules. A is correct because it is like a neighborhood HOA, the folks living there should draft and agree on the rules together, then revisit them at the start of each season, rather than having some outside manager hand down a rulebook from on high. C and D both fail because they take the power away from the team, and B is just lazy, like photocopying your neighbor's chore chart and expecting your kids to follow it.
Bao N.Apr 11, 2026D is right because teams still need org policies as a baseline before self-organizing.
Prof. SaraApr 13, 2026A is correct because the question is asking what enables the team to self-organize, and a clear vision with shared goals is the direct catalyst for that behavior, whereas org policies are a constraint, not an enabler. Think E-V-P from Domain 6: Empowered teams need Vision and Purpose to organize themselves around, not just a rulebook.