International Project Management Association (IPMA) Practice Exam

When project outcomes are poorly defined, the project team is likely to:

1. Grow larger

2. Grow smaller

3. Lose focus

4. Gain Cohesiveness

The correct answer is: Lose focus

When project outcomes are poorly defined, the project team is likely to lose focus. This occurs because unclear objectives lead to uncertainty regarding priorities, tasks, and overall goals. Team members may become uncertain about their roles and how their individual contributions fit into the larger picture, which can result in miscommunications and a fragmented approach to accomplishing project tasks. With no clear direction, the team may spend time on activities that do not align with the intended project outcomes, ultimately hindering progress and effectiveness. While it may seem that a larger or smaller team could be a reaction to poor definitions, these responses do not directly address the immediate effect of uncertainty on team dynamics. Rather than gaining cohesiveness, which usually happens when a team has well-defined objectives and a shared goal, a lack of clarity will typically lead to disarray and misplaced efforts within the team. Thus, maintaining focus is crucial for project success, and poor definition of outcomes disrupts this focus significantly.