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PMP Practice: Re-assess continually to ensure impediments are being addressed

Question 4 of 4 in Address and Remove Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers for the Team

Cedar Tanaka is managing a hybrid project for Macaron Voltage Labs to redesign their customer portal. The development team has completed three sprints but needs access to the legacy customer database to integrate authentication features. The database is controlled by the IT Operations group, led by Viktor Novak, who has repeatedly delayed granting access, citing security concerns and competing priorities. The team cannot proceed with the next sprint without this access, and Viktor has not responded to the last two emails from the team lead. Lila has already reviewed the access requirements with the team and confirmed they follow the company's security protocols. What should Cedar do to remove this impediment?
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Correct answer: Schedule a meeting with Viktor to understand his concerns, discuss the security protocols already in place, and collaboratively identify a path forward for granting access

Explanation

As a servant leader addressing impediments, the project manager should first engage directly with the stakeholder causing the blocker to understand the root cause of resistance. Viktor's security concerns may be legitimate or based on incomplete information. By scheduling a meeting to discuss the protocols already in place and collaboratively identifying solutions, Lila demonstrates respect for Viktor's domain expertise while actively working to remove the impediment. This approach builds relationships, addresses the actual concern, and is most likely to result in a sustainable solution. The scenario indicates Lila has already verified the requirements meet security standards, which provides a solid foundation for the conversation. Direct stakeholder engagement to resolve blockers is a core responsibility before escalating or accepting delays.

**Why not B:** Escalation may sometimes be necessary, but it should not be the first action when the project manager has not yet attempted direct engagement with Viktor. Escalating prematurely can damage working relationships and may not address the underlying concern. The project manager should attempt collaborative problem-solving first.

**Why not C:** While documenting risks is important, passively accepting the delay and working around it does not fulfill the project manager's responsibility to actively remove impediments for the team. The team is blocked and cannot progress on critical functionality. The project manager must take action to resolve the blocker rather than simply document it.

**Why not D:** Creating workarounds that will need to be replaced later introduces technical debt, waste, and rework. This approach delays addressing the real issue and may result in additional complications when the mock system needs to be replaced. The project manager should focus on removing the actual impediment rather than having the team build temporary solutions.

Key Concept

This question covers Re-assess continually to ensure impediments are being addressed under Address and Remove Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers for the Team (People).

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