See Yourself In The Mirror First

At work, most of us are good at diagnosing other people’s gaps, but ostensibly blind to our own.

A team member underdelivers, and we see it clearly. But when we fall short, we rationalise. We avoid the tough conversation with ourselves.

I’ve seen this in performance reviews, strategy resets, and even simple project delays. We blame bandwidth, market conditions, team dynamics-everything but ourselves. The truth? We know we are off-track long before the outcome shows it. We just don’t want to face it.

But reality doesn’t bend to wishful thinking. The sooner you admit what’s not working, the sooner you can fix it.

Before reviewing others, I brutally review myself first. What’s really holding me back? Is it effort, focus, or capability?

Actionable tip: Take 10 quiet minutes at the end of each week. No filters. Ask yourself: What did I avoid this week—and why?