The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis is undergoing a “paint investigation,” where conservators are testing painted-over areas to reveal the original work. “Although previous restorations were sensitive to the original decorating scheme, each iteration deviated further from historic precedent,” they wrote.
This gradual variation occurs with more than paint. It reminded me of Danny Meyer’s salt shaker analogy (dot #92), where the salt shaker is set at a precise location at each of his restaurant tables, but eventually “scoots” to another place after time. He recommends utilizing “constant, gentle pressure” to keep the item as close to the original placement as possible.
I’ve used this analogy countless times when talking about supervision. You need to identify the expectations and then address it when behavior “scoots” from that desired state. Each transgression is an iteration that moves further from the center, and you don’t want to wait and have many layers of deviations.
A slight variation in paint color, a few minutes late to work, and a little bit of slacking all seem harmless until the pattern accumulates. Conduct your own “investigation” and identify the ideal, then be vigilant in monitoring the small movements away from that point.
