The First Small Tolerance
13 February 2026
Standards rarely collapse in a moment. They slip through the first small tolerance you let pass, then the next one feels easier.
The first small tolerance always feels harmless.
It looks like pragmatism.
It sounds like being reasonable.
You let the deadline slide because the team is stretched.
You ignore the sloppy update because the work is good.
You avoid the conversation because you don't want to pile on.
None of these choices are wrong on their own. The cost shows up later, when the exception becomes the new normal and the standard you never named is the one you're now carrying alone.
The difficult part isn't the big reset, it's the quiet moment where you decide whether to name a small slip. That's where standards are built or traded away.
A leader I worked with told me she felt like the team had changed. The truth was more subtle. The team was still capable, but the small tolerances had added up. The standard had moved, and nobody could point to the moment it happened.
If you want to raise the bar without becoming abrasive, start with the first small tolerance.
Notice it, name it, and explain why it matters.
People respond well to clarity when it comes with respect.
Questions to sit with:
Which small tolerance am I treating as temporary?
What standard do I expect but rarely name?
Where am I carrying the cost of an unspoken exception?
Standards don't need drama.
They need attention, consistency, and the quiet courage to say what's slipping before it becomes the culture.
The path to extraordinary is walked with a thousand small steps, you’re doing great!
Barry Marshall-Graham
Executive coach and leadership advisor
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