If your team is not doing what you need them to do, what should you do first?

• A. Look at yourself.
• B. Blame the team members.
• C. Increase workload without feedback.
• D. Replace the team immediately.

Answer: (A)

When performance gaps appear, the most productive first step is to look at your own leadership and actions. Reflect on whether your expectations are clear, whether the goals are realistic, and whether you’ve given the team the resources, training, and feedback they need. By clarifying priorities, modeling the desired behaviors, and removing barriers, you set the conditions for the team to succeed. This self-check helps you adjust plans, communicate effectively, and align the team before making changes to people or workload.

Blaming team members, increasing workload without feedback, or replacing the team immediately tends to escalate problems or miss underlying causes, making improvement harder and eroding trust.