A globally distributed project team is behind schedule due to low commitment and morale. To bring the schedule back on track, what should the project manager do first?

The best first step is to set up a meeting for root cause analysis. This proactive approach helps identify the underlying reasons for low commitment and morale, which are contributing to the schedule delays. Without understanding why the team is struggling, any attempted solutions would be guesswork and likely ineffective. Permanently colocating a globally distributed team is often impractical and costly, and doesn't address the root cause of low morale. Updating the issue log is a good practice, but it's a documentation step, not a solution to the problem itself. Requesting a schedule extension without understanding the problem's cause is premature and avoids addressing the core issue.