CPSM CSPM Communication, Stakeholder & Team Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project has 8 stakeholders. How many potential communication channels exist?
- 16
- 28 (Correct answer)
- 56
- 64
Correct answer: 28
Using the formula n(n-1)/2, with 8 stakeholders: 8×7/2 = 28 communication channels.
Question 2: Which team development stage in Tuckman's model is characterized by conflicts over roles and responsibilities?
- Forming
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Norming
- Performing
Correct answer: Storming
The Storming stage involves interpersonal conflicts as team members compete for roles and challenge leadership.
Question 3: A PM discovers a key stakeholder has been receiving incorrect project status reports for three weeks. The BEST immediate action is:
- Wait until the next scheduled meeting to correct the information
- Immediately contact the stakeholder, acknowledge the error, and provide accurate information (Correct answer)
- Delete the incorrect reports from the record system
- Blame the team member who prepared the reports
Correct answer: Immediately contact the stakeholder, acknowledge the error, and provide accurate information
Immediate transparent correction maintains trust and allows the stakeholder to make accurate decisions going forward.
Question 4: What is the MAIN difference between formal and informal communication in project management?
- Formal communication is always verbal; informal is always written
- Formal communication follows structured protocols and is documented; informal is spontaneous and undocumented (Correct answer)
- Formal communication is only used with external stakeholders
- Informal communication is never appropriate in professional settings
Correct answer: Formal communication follows structured protocols and is documented; informal is spontaneous and undocumented
Formal communication uses defined channels and is recorded, while informal communication is ad hoc and typically unrecorded.
Question 5: A project manager wants to build psychological safety on a software team. Which action BEST supports this?
- Discouraging questions to maintain efficiency
- Rewarding team members who identify and openly discuss problems without blame (Correct answer)
- Limiting team discussions to scheduled meetings only
- Assigning individual performance ratings that team members can see
Correct answer: Rewarding team members who identify and openly discuss problems without blame
Psychological safety grows when team members feel safe raising issues without fear of blame or punishment.
Question 6: Which document formally authorizes a project manager to apply organizational resources and establishes their authority?
- Project management plan
- Project charter (Correct answer)
- Stakeholder register
- Communication management plan
Correct answer: Project charter
The project charter formally authorizes the project and grants the PM authority to use organizational resources.
Question 7: An agile software team is consistently failing to meet sprint goals. The PM's BEST response is to:
- Extend all sprint lengths to reduce pressure
- Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and make targeted process improvements (Correct answer)
- Replace team members who are not meeting targets
- Remove the sprint review to save time for coding
Correct answer: Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and make targeted process improvements
Retrospectives are the agile mechanism for identifying root causes of underperformance and implementing continuous improvement.
CPSM CSPM Communication, Stakeholder & Team Management 4
A project has 8 stakeholders.
How many potential communication channels exist?