When Standards Slide, Reset Them Directly

Direct, clear conversations reset standards that are sliding.

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June 9, 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 23. Rep 23. Last week you identified where standards have been sliding. This week you'll learn how to say something about it.

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Read

The Moment

Now, you have your list of standards that have eroded. You've identified what's been happening and what needs to change.

But - how do you turn that into a conversation without it becoming a confrontation, a lecture, or an awkward moment that makes things worse?

The Pattern

This often goes one of two ways. Over-explaining: building a case, listing examples, justifying why this matters, until it feels like blame rather than redirection. Or, under-communicating: dropping a hint, dancing around the point, and hoping the other person fills in the gaps.

Both approaches have the same problem. The standard still isn't clear.

Why This Matters

Communicating a standard shouldn't be difficult conversation, but it is a direct one. Difficult anticipates conflict. Direct means you say what you mean, specifically, without editorializing.

The same CLEAR framework you use for feedback applies here. What you've observed, the impact, and your request.

The goal is to make sure your direct knows exactly what should change, and why.

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Rep

This Week's Practice

Take a standard from last week's list and communicate it directly using the CLEAR framework. Write it out before the conversation.

• Evidence: the specific behavior you've observed.

• Anchor the Impact: what it's costing: the work, the team, the dynamic. Keep it external and observable.

• Request: what you need to see going forward. Be specific enough that they know what to do differently.

Your Rep

Clearly communicate one standard using the framework. Write it out first, and have the conversation before the end of the week.

What to Notice

Success looks like:

• You said it without softening it into a suggestion

• The other person knows what you're asking for and why

• The conversation was shorter than you expected it to be

  
  

Resistance looks like:

• Writing it out clearly and then hedging when you're in the room

• Picking the easiest standard instead of the most important one

• Adding so much context that the request gets buried

  
  

It's working when:

• You walk out of the conversation knowing they heard you, not just that you said it

  
  

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Framing it as a policy instead of a direct ask. "The team norm is that we start on time" distances you from the standard. "I need meetings to start on time" makes it yours.

Mistake #2: Revisiting the history. This isn't a retrospective. You're naming what changes going forward. One recent example is enough context.

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Reflect

• What did you notice about how the other person responded when the standard was clear versus when you've been vague about it in the past?

• Where did you feel the urge to soften or over-explain, and what were you trying to protect?

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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.