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PMP Practice: Leverage emotional intelligence to build trust

Question 4 of 4 in Collaborate with Stakeholders

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Ash Reyes is managing a hybrid project for Bold Pulse Labs to implement a new warehouse management system. The development team is using two-week sprints for software features, while the hardware installation follows a predictive schedule. During a sprint review, the operations director insists on adding real-time inventory tracking features immediately, claiming it's essential for daily operations. The development team pushes back, stating this wasn't in the agreed sprint scope and would disrupt their committed work. The operations director has significant influence in the organization and has historically been resistant to IT projects. Ash has already confirmed the sprint backlog was finalized three days ago with team commitment. What should Ash do to build trust and influence both stakeholders?
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Correct answer: Schedule a collaborative session with the operations director and development team to understand the underlying business need, explore options for addressing it within the hybrid framework, and agree on a path forward that respects team commitments while meeting operational requirements

Explanation

The project manager should facilitate a collaborative discussion that brings both parties together to find a solution that builds trust and maintains relationships. This approach allows Ash to understand the operations director's urgent business need while helping the director understand the team's commitment model and hybrid framework. By creating a space for dialogue, Ash can explore creative solutions such as identifying a minimal viable version for the current sprint, fast-tracking the feature for the next sprint, or finding interim workarounds. This servant leadership approach respects both the team's delivery commitments and the stakeholder's business concerns, building influence through facilitation rather than authority. The collaborative session demonstrates that Ash values both perspectives and is committed to finding solutions that serve project objectives while maintaining team sustainability.

**Why not A:** Escalating to the project sponsor for a final decision bypasses the PM's responsibility to facilitate stakeholder alignment. The conflict between the operations director and the development team is a facilitation challenge, not an authority issue, and can be resolved through collaborative dialogue.

**Why not C:** Explaining that the sprint scope is locked and documenting the request for the next sprint is technically correct but dismissive. This response fails to explore the underlying business need, misses the opportunity to build trust with an influential stakeholder, and could entrench the operations director's resistance to IT projects.

**Why not D:** Asking the team to accommodate the request immediately undermines the sprint commitment and the team's sustainable pace. Disrupting committed work to satisfy a stakeholder request teaches the organization that sprint boundaries can be ignored, eroding the predictability that the hybrid framework provides.

Key Concept

This question covers Leverage emotional intelligence to build trust under Collaborate with Stakeholders (People).

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