PMP flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Tuckman team development stages

Teams progress through forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning; a project manager should match leadership style to the current stage rather than assume performing from the start.

Collaborating conflict resolution

Also called problem solving; a win-win approach with high assertiveness and high cooperativeness that addresses root causes and is the most durable resolution when time and trust allow.

Forcing conflict resolution

A win-lose approach that satisfies one party only; appropriate for emergencies, safety issues, or when the issue is vital and the relationship is unimportant, but it damages trust if overused.

Compromising conflict resolution

Both parties give up something to reach a partial solution; useful when time is short or goals are equally important, but it can be a lose-lose outcome that leaves the root cause unresolved.

Herzberg two-factor theory

Hygiene factors such as pay and working conditions prevent dissatisfaction but do not motivate; motivators such as achievement, recognition, and growth create genuine satisfaction and engagement.

Maslow hierarchy of needs

Needs are ordered as physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization; lower needs are generally satisfied first, so a project manager addresses basic team needs before growth opportunities.

Servant leadership

The leader prioritizes the growth, wellbeing, and removal of impediments for the team, shifting authority to those doing the work and focusing on outcomes rather than command and control.

Emotional intelligence domains

Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management; high emotional intelligence lets a project manager read team dynamics and respond to conflict without escalating it.

BATNA

Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement; the walk-away option that defines your real bargaining power, so a project manager should identify it before entering any negotiation.

Team charter

A document created with the team that records ground rules, values, communication norms, decision-making methods, and conflict-handling expectations; it is revisited when team composition or behavior changes.

Colocation

Placing team members in the same physical space, often a war room, to improve communication and team identity; a virtual equivalent uses shared workspaces and frequent video interaction.

Critical path

The longest path through the network diagram; it determines the shortest possible project duration and has zero or the least total float, so any delay on it delays the project.

Total float formula

Float equals late start minus early start, or late finish minus early finish; it is the amount of time an activity can slip without delaying the project finish date.

Cost performance index

CPI equals earned value divided by actual cost; above 1.0 means the project is under budget for work performed, below 1.0 means over budget, and it drives forecast-to-complete calculations.

Schedule performance index

SPI equals earned value divided by planned value; above 1.0 indicates more work completed than planned, below 1.0 indicates behind schedule, and near project end SPI converges toward 1.0.

EAC with typical variance

Forecast estimate at completion when current cost performance is expected to continue: EAC equals budget at completion divided by CPI; used when variances are systemic rather than one-time events.

EAC with atypical variance

Forecast used when variances are one-time and expected to stop: EAC equals actual cost plus budget at completion minus earned value; remaining work proceeds at the original planned rate.

Expected monetary value

EMV equals probability multiplied by impact; used in quantitative risk analysis to rank risks and size contingency reserve as the sum of EMV, with positive values representing opportunities.

Cost of quality

Total cost of conformance (prevention and appraisal) plus cost of nonconformance (internal and external failure); investing in prevention usually lowers total cost by reducing rework and warranty claims.

Rule of seven

On a control chart, seven consecutive points on one side of the mean signal a non-random process shift requiring investigation, even though no point exceeds the control limits.

Scope baseline

Composed of the approved scope statement, the work breakdown structure, and the WBS dictionary; changes to any of these three components require formal integrated change control.

Rolling wave planning

Progressive elaboration in which near-term work is planned in detail while later work is planned at a higher level and refined as more information becomes available; typical of adaptive and hybrid life cycles.

Kanban work-in-progress limit

A cap on the number of items allowed in a workflow stage; it exposes bottlenecks, reduces multitasking and cycle time, and pulls new work only when capacity frees up.

Definition of Done

A shared checklist of criteria an increment must meet before it is considered complete, such as tested code and documentation; it prevents partial work from being counted in velocity.

Contingency reserve

Budget or time set aside for identified risks with known probabilities, held by the project manager and included in the cost baseline; management reserve covers unidentified risks and sits above the baseline.

Benefits management plan

Defines how and when project benefits will be realized, measured, and sustained after handover; the project manager delivers outputs while the sponsor and business owner own benefit realization.

Business case

A document justifying the investment by comparing expected benefits, costs, and risks against alternatives; it links the project to strategic objectives and is a primary input to the project charter.

PESTLE analysis

A scan of political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that can affect the project; it assesses the external business environment and feeds the risk register.

Compliance requirements

Mandatory obligations from laws, regulations, contracts, and organizational policies such as health and safety, data privacy, and financial reporting; non-compliance is a project risk needing an owner and audit trail.

Risk appetite versus threshold

Appetite is the degree of uncertainty an organization is willing to accept in pursuit of value; threshold is the measurable limit beyond which the risk must be escalated or treated.

Project governance

The framework of decision rights, escalation paths, phase gates, and reporting that keeps a project aligned with organizational strategy; it defines who approves baselines, changes, and exceptions.

Organizational change management

Structured activities that prepare, equip, and support people to adopt the change a project delivers; benefits only materialize when users actually transition to the new process or system.