A hybrid project team is struggling to satisfy the customer. The team says the customer keeps changing priorities, while the customer says the team does not understand their needs. What should the project manager do?

The best first step is to facilitate a direct meeting between the customer and the project team. This allows for open communication, helps clarify misunderstandings, and builds rapport. The team can directly hear the customer's evolving needs, and the customer can understand the team's challenges. This collaborative approach addresses the core communication breakdown. Hiring an external auditor is premature and costly; it doesn't directly resolve the communication issue. Asking the product owner to mediate might help, but direct communication is more effective in resolving conflict and building trust. Escalating to the sponsor is an option for intractable problems, but it bypasses the opportunity for the project manager to resolve the issue at the team level first.