PMP Question #732: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

Question

A project manager is defining the sprint goals with the team. A team member who is responsible for acceptance testing starts criticizing the goals and cannot come to an agreement with the other team members. How should the project manager handle this situation?

Options

• ARequest to meet with the team member and ask that any issues be escalated separately.
• BReprimand the team member and provide immediate coaching on goal alignment.
• CProceed with defining the goals with the team members given the majority approval from the
• DApproach the team member with empathy and obtain agreement through collaboration.

Explanation

When a team member is openly criticizing sprint goals and causing disagreement during a meeting, the project manager should request to meet with the team member separately to address their concerns. This allows the meeting to progress while ensuring the team member's issues are respectfully acknowledged and managed.

Common mistakes.

• B. Reprimanding a team member in a public setting can be counterproductive, damaging morale and trust, and may not effectively resolve the underlying issue.
• C. Proceeding without adequately addressing the dissenting team member's concerns, especially one responsible for acceptance testing, can lead to disengagement and potentially unaddressed risks or quality issues.
• D. While empathy and collaboration are important, trying to obtain agreement through extensive collaboration during the main meeting when one person is actively criticizing can consume excessive time and prevent the team from achieving its primary objective of defining the sprint goals.

Concept tested. Conflict resolution and meeting facilitation

Reference. https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/resource-management

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