How can you support a coworker who is falling behind on tasks?

• A. Take over all their tasks permanently
• B. Offer to help with non-critical tasks, clearly communicate priorities, and maintain a positive team vibe
• C. Yell at them to pick up the pace
• D. Ignore and proceed with your own work

Answer: (B)

Supporting a coworker who is falling behind is about collaborative communication and practical help that keeps the team’s goals in sight while empowering the coworker to regain momentum. The best approach is to offer to help with non-critical tasks so you lighten their workload without taking over, clearly communicate priorities so everyone knows what must be done and by when, and keep a positive team vibe to reduce stress and encourage open dialogue. This approach helps maintain progress, fairness, and morale. It avoids overstepping by taking all tasks, which can erode autonomy; it avoids punitive actions like yelling, which damage trust and effectiveness; and it avoids ignoring the situation, which lets problems fester and delays the project.