Question:
A business closes its offices after a major crisis, and everyone begins to work remotely. Many team members on one project team were high-performing contributors before the crisis. These team members are missing daily coordination meetings or attending meetings but turning their cameras off and not participating. The project is neither meeting iteration goals nor performing well.
Which two actions can the project team take to get motivated again? (Choose 2)
Options:
A. Skip some daily coordination meetings to give people more time to work
B. Revisit the team charter and ground rules
C. Require team members who miss meetings or do not turn on their camera to explain their actions
D. Discuss active engagement in the next sprint planning
E. Discuss effective engagement and collaboration methods at the next retrospective
✅ Correct Answers: B and E
Detailed Explanation
When teams transition from colocated work to a remote environment, motivation and engagement often suffer due to lack of interaction, unclear expectations, and the absence of informal coordination. The PMP framework emphasizes team empowerment, self-organization, and collaboration — all crucial for sustaining productivity and morale during such transitions.
1. Revisit the Team Charter and Ground Rules (Option B)
The team charter is a foundational document that outlines how the team will work together — including roles, responsibilities, decision-making processes, communication norms, and conflict-resolution strategies.
When circumstances change drastically, like moving from office to remote work, these ground rules often become outdated. Re-visiting the charter helps the team to:
- Redefine meeting etiquette and collaboration expectations
- Clarify virtual communication norms (camera use, response times, and availability)
- Foster ownership and accountability through team consensus
- Rebuild trust and psychological safety in a virtual setting
This ensures everyone is aligned on “how we work together now”, which restores a sense of structure and belonging.
2. Discuss Effective Engagement and Collaboration in the Next Retrospective (Option E)
A retrospective is not just a performance review — it’s an opportunity to reflect, adapt, and improve processes. Discussing engagement in retrospectives helps identify root causes of disengagement such as:
- Zoom fatigue or meeting overload
- Lack of meaningful participation or recognition
- Technical barriers in remote collaboration tools
By openly discussing these issues, the team can co-create engagement solutions, such as:
- Reducing unnecessary meetings
- Incorporating energizers or quick check-ins
- Setting norms for camera use or verbal participation
- Encouraging feedback loops to improve team morale
This approach is collaborative, empathetic, and adaptive, aligning perfectly with the Agile and PMI principles of continuous improvement.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
- A. Skip some daily coordination meetings:
This might reduce communication even further. Coordination is essential for distributed teams to stay aligned and connected. The problem is not the meetings but how they are conducted. - C. Require members to explain actions:
This approach can create a blame culture and lower morale. The focus should be on support and improvement, not punishment. - D. Discuss active engagement in next sprint planning:
Sprint planning focuses on workload and deliverables, not team behavior. Engagement and collaboration are better addressed during retrospectives.
Key Takeaway for PMP Learners
When facing remote-work challenges, successful project managers prioritize team empowerment and collaboration frameworks. Revisiting the team charter and using retrospectives to refine engagement methods align with both PMI’s “Develop Team” process and Agile principles of continuous improvement.
This question tests your understanding of servant leadership, team facilitation, and adaptive project management, which are central to the PMI Talent Triangle — especially the People domain.
Example Reflection for Real-World Projects
Imagine a software development team in transition to remote work:
- Productivity dips due to lack of engagement.
- The project manager organizes a virtual retrospective.
- The team agrees to keep cameras on for collaboration-intensive meetings but optional for long briefings.
- They introduce a “virtual coffee chat” every Friday to rebuild informal bonds.
- Within a few iterations, sprint performance improves, and the team morale rises.
This is the essence of adaptive leadership — understanding that motivation thrives when teams own their process.
Summary: PMP Concepts Reinforced
| Concept | PMP Domain | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Team Charter | People | Revisit and adapt working agreements to new conditions |
| Retrospective | Process | Reflect and continuously improve collaboration practices |
| Servant Leadership | Business Environment | Empower teams to co-create engagement norms |
| Motivation | People | Build trust, psychological safety, and autonomy |
Final Thoughts
This PMP question highlights the importance of emotional intelligence and facilitation skills for project managers in remote or hybrid environments. Teams must evolve their working norms collaboratively to stay effective and motivated.
Revisiting the team charter and discussing engagement during retrospectives ensures that motivation and collaboration stay strong — even when teams are physically apart.
Top 10 PMP-Related FAQs on Remote Team Motivation & Collaboration
1. What is the best way to keep remote project teams motivated after a major crisis?
Revisiting the team charter and re-defining collaboration norms is essential. Project managers should involve the team in setting new ground rules for communication, engagement, and accountability. This creates ownership and restores morale by adapting to the new remote work dynamics.
2. Why is the team charter important in remote project management?
The team charter defines how the team works together—roles, communication, meeting rules, and conflict resolution. Revisiting it helps align expectations when teams shift from office to remote work, ensuring transparency and mutual understanding in virtual environments.
3. How can retrospectives improve remote team engagement?
A retrospective helps teams openly discuss what’s working and what’s not in their collaboration. It’s the perfect forum to identify engagement gaps, address communication issues, and agree on new strategies for motivation and teamwork improvement.
4. What PMP principle applies when team performance drops in remote settings?
The People Domain in PMP emphasizes leadership, team development, and emotional intelligence. Project managers should act as servant leaders, fostering empathy, collaboration, and trust to re-energize underperforming remote teams.
5. Why shouldn’t project managers enforce strict attendance or camera rules?
Enforcing strict rules can create resentment and lower morale. Instead of policing behavior, project managers should encourage participation by creating psychologically safe environments where team members feel valued and heard.
6. What are common challenges faced by remote project teams?
Common challenges include communication breakdown, lack of visibility, disengagement, unclear priorities, and cultural or time-zone barriers. Revisiting the team charter and conducting regular retrospectives helps overcome these issues.
7. How can Agile ceremonies support motivation in virtual teams?
Agile ceremonies—such as daily stand-ups and retrospectives—maintain rhythm, visibility, and engagement. When properly facilitated online, they foster accountability, quick feedback, and a shared sense of purpose among team members.
8. How does a project manager balance empathy and accountability in remote teams?
A strong PMP leader listens actively, adapts expectations, and sets clear outcomes. Combining empathy (understanding team challenges) with accountability (clear goals and feedback) helps sustain both performance and motivation.
9. What should be discussed in a remote team’s retrospective after performance issues?
Teams should discuss what caused disengagement, what collaboration methods failed, and which new norms (like flexible timing, focused stand-ups, or open feedback channels) can improve participation and results.
10. How can PMP certification help in managing virtual or hybrid teams?
The PMP certification equips professionals with modern leadership and communication strategies to manage diverse, remote, and hybrid teams effectively. It builds competency in collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and motivation techniques aligned with PMI’s best practices.
Enhance your leadership and virtual team management skills with PMP® Certification Training by Spoclearn — your pathway to becoming a globally recognized project leader.