PMBOK FREE PMBOK Leading High-Performance Teams Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project manager notices that team members are avoiding difficult conversations during retrospectives. Which approach best supports psychological safety?
- Require anonymous feedback submissions only
- Model vulnerability by sharing personal lessons learned first (Correct answer)
- Assign a rotating devil's advocate role to force dissent
- Skip retrospectives until team trust improves naturally
Correct answer: Model vulnerability by sharing personal lessons learned first
Leaders build psychological safety by modeling vulnerability, which encourages others to share openly without fear of judgment.
Question 2: During a complex project, two senior team members have a persistent conflict over technical direction. What should the project manager do first?
- Escalate to the sponsor for a binding decision
- Facilitate a structured discussion focused on project objectives (Correct answer)
- Separate them into different workstreams permanently
- Allow them to resolve it independently without intervention
Correct answer: Facilitate a structured discussion focused on project objectives
Facilitating objective-focused dialogue helps resolve conflicts constructively while keeping the team aligned on project goals.
Question 3: A high-performing team suddenly experiences decreased velocity after a new member joins. What is the most likely explanation according to team development models?
- The new member lacks technical competence
- The team has regressed to an earlier stage of development (Correct answer)
- The project scope has increased without the team noticing
- The original members are deliberately slowing down
Correct answer: The team has regressed to an earlier stage of development
According to Tuckman's model, adding a new member causes the team to revisit earlier stages such as storming as relationships and norms are renegotiated.
Question 4: Which leadership style is most effective when a team is experienced, motivated, and working in a stable environment?
- Directive leadership with detailed task assignments
- Servant leadership that removes impediments and empowers the team (Correct answer)
- Transactional leadership with strict reward-penalty structures
- Autocratic leadership to maintain consistent output
Correct answer: Servant leadership that removes impediments and empowers the team
Servant leadership empowers capable teams by removing obstacles and trusting them to self-organize, which maximizes performance.
Question 5: A project manager wants to improve team motivation on a long-duration project. Which factor does Herzberg's theory identify as a true motivator?
- Competitive salary adjustments
- Comfortable working conditions
- Recognition for meaningful accomplishments (Correct answer)
- Clear company policies and procedures
Correct answer: Recognition for meaningful accomplishments
Herzberg's two-factor theory classifies recognition as a motivator, while salary and conditions are hygiene factors that only prevent dissatisfaction.
Question 6: What is the primary benefit of establishing a team charter at the start of a project?
- It replaces the need for a stakeholder register
- It provides legal protection if team members underperform
- It creates shared agreement on values, working norms, and decision-making processes (Correct answer)
- It assigns individual accountability for every deliverable
Correct answer: It creates shared agreement on values, working norms, and decision-making processes
A team charter aligns the team on shared expectations, communication norms, and decision-making approaches, which accelerates team formation.
PMBOK FREE PMBOK Leading High-Performance Teams Questions and Answers 2
A project manager notices that team members are avoiding difficult conversations during retrospectives.
Which approach best supports psychological safety?