Introduction I I 11 Self-Assessment Why Don’t Adults Always Do Their Best? If everyone focuses on doing their best, will you have a good team? That’s the premise. And here’s the challenge: people don’t always do their best. Sometimes they don’t give their best because they don’t know how. They need the education, coaching, and encouragement of others on the team. Sometimes adults don’t do their best because they aren’t motivated or just don’t want to work. That’s a performance issue that their supervisor needs to address. But most people aren’t the best team players they can be because they haven’t accurately assessed themselves. They don’t realize they could be performing better. Too much time is spent worrying about how others act or should act, instead of focusing on their own behavior. Reason How to Help “I don’t know how.” Lack of knowledge. Offer education, workshops, and resources. “I can’t do it well.” Lack of experience. Provide role-modeling, coaching, and opportunities to practice. “I’m scared I’ll mess up.” Fear of failure. Offer encouragement and sup- port. Reduce the risks of failure. “I don’t want to.” Lack of motivation. Ask their reasons for not doing their work. Provide support as well as consequences for lack of performance. becoming a team player Why Adults Don’t Always Perform Well