PMP Practice Questions #17
You are in the middle of a crucial phase of your project when your team runs into a regulatory roadblock that they haven’t encountered before. Realizing that a delay could derail the project timeline, what should be your FIRST action?
A) Arrange a meeting with the project’s stakeholders to inform them of the potential delay.
B) Consult the project’s charter to find an alternative solution.
C) Connect with peers from other organizations in your professional network who have done similar projects in the same jurisdiction.
D) Request the team to work overtime to figure out a way around the roadblock.
Analysis
The scenario presents a situation where the project team encounters an unexpected regulatory roadblock during a crucial phase, potentially jeopardizing the project timeline. The question demands the identification of the FIRST action the Project Manager should take in response to this challenge. The key considerations here involve effective problem-solving, communication, reference to guiding documents, leveraging networks, and team management. The analysis prioritizes the project manager’s proactive role in resolving impediments over immediate escalation or team pressure.
Analysis of Options:
Option A: Arrange a meeting with the project’s stakeholders to inform them of the potential delay. While transparency and communication with stakeholders are important, the option suggests an immediate escalation before any in-depth understanding or exploration of potential solutions. Stakeholders typically expect project managers to analyze issues and propose potential solutions or action plans when presenting problems. Therefore, while keeping stakeholders informed is critical, doing so prematurely, without any homework or potential solutions, might not be the best first action.
Option B: Consult the project’s charter to find an alternative solution. The project charter provides a high-level overview and authorization for the project but lacks detailed guidance on handling specific operational, regulatory, or unexpected issues that arise during project execution. It doesn’t contain detailed escalation paths, change control processes, or alternative solutions for specific problems. Therefore, this option might lead to confusion or be unproductive as the project charter is unlikely to offer the needed immediate guidance for the presented problem.
Option C: Connect with peers from other organizations in your professional network who have done similar projects in the same jurisdiction. This option leverages the project manager’s professional network, an approach aligned with being resourceful and proactive when resolving impediments. Reaching out to experienced peers can provide insights or best practices to navigate the regulatory roadblock, representing a direct action toward resolving the issue. This approach not only demonstrates servant leadership by actively seeking solutions to keep the team’s work on track but also aligns with the PMP guidelines that encourage using networks to implement solutions for removing impediments, obstacles, and blockers. It indicates the necessity of a project manager’s homework before escalating the issue to stakeholders, increasing the likelihood of presenting informed solutions rather than just problems.
Option D: Request the team to work overtime to figure out a way around the roadblock. This option suggests pressuring the team to resolve an external issue that might be beyond their control or expertise, potentially leading to burnout, reduced morale, and decreased productivity. It doesn’t demonstrate servant leadership, as it doesn’t actively assist the team in removing impediments. Instead, it pushes the responsibility onto the team members, diverting their focus from their primary objectives. Over time, especially without direction, might not be the most efficient way to resolve the issue. The project manager should ideally take the lead in handling external or environmental issues to clear the path for the team.
Conclusion: Upon reviewing the options through the lens of effective problem-solving, proactive leadership, and informed communication, option C stands out as the most appropriate first action. It involves active efforts to resolve the issue and aligns with PMP principles of utilizing networks and demonstrating servant leadership, thereby ensuring that the team can continue their work with minimal disruption.
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
Topics Covered
- Servant leadership (e.g., relate the tenets of servant leadership to the team)
- leadership style (e.g., directive, collaborative)
- Manage Issues and Impediments
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