Cut The Slack

“Are your expectations still sharp - or have they softened without you realising?”

It doesn’t happen all at once.
Standards slip quietly.
You get busy.
You make a few exceptions.
You hold off on a hard conversation because “now’s not the time.”

And before long, what used to be a non-negotiable… isn’t.

We’ve seen this happen in good teams. High-trust, hardworking, committed people - still turning up, still doing the work. But over time, what was once tight becomes loose. What used to be followed through with urgency starts to drift. No one means to lower the bar - it just drops in degrees.

And the danger is: the team often doesn’t notice - until the customer does.

In a tightening market, your standard is part of your positioning. It’s what builds trust, earns referrals, and delivers results you can stand behind.

So how do you reset without damaging morale?

For us, it comes down to clarity and care:

• Make the standard visible

• Praise what “right” looks like

• Catch slippage early

• Have the ‘hard’ conversations - sooner, not later
  

Your job is to hold the standard. Giving direct feedback promptly isn't about being harsh - it’s about being clear. 

Because people rise to what’s expected - especially when it’s reinforced with respect.

Where do you need to tighten things - not because it’s falling apart, but because it matters?