Hold the Standard

Cristina Stensvaag
Jun 16
2 min read

A standard that isn't held is just a suggestion.

June 16, 2026

Originally published in One More Rep, a weekly newsletter for people managers who want to get better through practice. Subscribe here — it's free.

Week 24. Rep 24. You named what's been sliding. You communicated it directly. This week you might be tested.

Read

The Moment

You had the conversation. You named the standard and made your request without softening it into a suggestion or burying it in context. And then it slid again.

The Pattern

A standard you communicate once but don't reinforce is a suggestion.

This is where your work from the last two weeks either sticks or doesn't. If the behavior slides back to the status quo and you accept it because the timing doesn't feel right for another conversation or the relationship feels fragile, you're choosing drift.

Why This Matters

Holding a standard doesn't mean you're inflexible. It means that what you said you needed really is what you need.

Rep

This Week's Practice

This week you're looking for the moment after the conversation. Maybe the standard gets tested, pushback comes, or the easy thing would be to absorb it one more time.

When that moment arrives, hold your position.

Your Rep

Find one moment this week where a standard you've communicated gets tested. Address it directly in the moment using the same framework: name what you observed, name the impact, restate the ask.

What to Notice

Success looks like:

You addressed it in the moment, not three days later
Your response was shorter than the original conversation
You didn't re-explain why the standard matters

Resistance looks like:

Telling yourself this instance was an exception
Waiting for a better moment until it is too late
Softening the restatement because you don't want to seem rigid

It's working when:

The other person stops testing the standard because they know it's real

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Re-delivering the original conversation. You already said it once. Holding a standard isn't repeating the feedback. It is calling out a pattern. "We talked about this. I need it to change." That's enough.

Mistake #2: Making it personal when it gets emotional. If they push back hard, focus on the behavior, not the relationship. "I hear you, and this is what needs to happen."

Reflect

What did holding the standard feel like compared to letting it slide, and what does that difference tell you?
What is your team learning about you from how you responded this week?

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Cristina Stensvaag is co-founder of LeaderReps and creator of One More Rep, a weekly practice-based leadership newsletter for people managers.