I messed up (and it cost me big)

I've got a confession: In 2024, I let my standards slip.

It wasn't intentional. It wasn't even obvious—at least not at first. It was a gradual, sneaky erosion of quality and expectations that, over time, left me frustrated, exhausted, and stuck with results that didn’t match the effort I was putting into the business.

The worst part is, when standards slide, it’s easy to blame everyone else.

Your team missed deadlines. The quality of their work declined. Documentation became sloppy or nonexistent. Attention to detail slipped.

But here's the tough truth I had to swallow: when your standards slip, the blame starts and ends with you.

Whether you run a one-person shop with freelancers or a company of 100, the quality of your team's execution ultimately reflects the standards you set and enforce.

And if you don’t like the outcomes you’re getting, it’s up to you to fix them.

Why We Let Standards Slip

Standards are the internal compass guiding every decision, action, and expectation within your business.

Whether you've explicitly defined them or not, standards exist.

Before they’re quantified, they're measured intuitively, felt in your gut, and reflected in your everyday reactions and frustrations.

They shape what's considered acceptable, tolerable, or exceptional.

As I’ve experienced myself, we sometimes let standards slide without realizing it because:

• We have time constraints and think we can afford a few shortcuts.

• We’re prioritizing speed over quality to hit short-term goals at the expense of long-term objectives.

• We simply don’t have enough clarity about what we’re trying to accomplish to define clear standards in the first place.

But these seemingly minor compromises today inevitably lead to frustration tomorrow.

How to Get Your Standards Back

After a thorough year-end review in December, I realized one change could have an outsized impact on my entire business: raising my standards—concretely and explicitly—in every aspect of the business.

Here’s exactly how I'm doing it, and how you can too:

1. Define Clear Expectations

Stop saying "do better" and explicitly define the standards for every role.

Set measurable benchmarks for deadlines, deliverables, and communication protocols. Everyone should know exactly what success looks like.

If you can’t define success clearly for a particular role, it probably needs to be restructured or eliminated.

2. Communicate and Reinforce Constantly

Clearly communicate these standards repeatedly.

Regular feedback and check-ins reinforce expectations, making it clear these benchmarks aren't negotiable—they’re foundational.

If you’ve defined and communicated standards clearly and they’re still not being met, it’s likely time to make team changes.

3. Lead by Example

Your team watches your every move. So you want to set the standard with your actions.

But just as importantly, you know when you aren’t meeting your own standards.

If you aren’t bringing your best, it’s hard to credibly ask others to bring theirs.

4. Create Real Accountability

Build systems and processes to track and reinforce accountability.

Quantify success with measurable numbers and scorecards. Regular performance reviews, transparent progress checks, and honest feedback loops are essential.

Without accountability, your standards are nice-sounding suggestions that will quickly fade—and your team knows it.

5. Empower Decision-Making

Give your team clarity, then trust them to make decisions aligned with your standards.

Ownership encourages commitment.

When your people fully understand and embrace your standards, they'll naturally hold themselves—and their peers—accountable.

If they don’t, it's probably time to upgrade your team.

What Happened When I Raised My Standards

Within two months of recommitting to higher standards, I'm running a different business.

Tough conversations and even tougher decisions left me with a leaner, more organized, and accountable team.

We’ve clearly defined core values I simply will not compromise on when hiring and managing—even if it means temporary setbacks.

Most importantly, the frustration has turned into confidence, knowing the entire team understands what we're building and how we're building it.

Here's the bottom line: Your standards define your business.

Letting them slip is easy—and sometimes feels justified—but raising them back up is transformative.

Trust me, your future self (and your team) will thank you.

Adios,

Ray