Boundary Testing
Small violations of agreed rules — a late payment, an extra request, a missed cc — to measure resistance before larger breaches; each unchallenged test resets the norm.
An everyday example
A client who 'accidentally' exceeds scope by a little, then by a lot.
What it can cost you
Norms eroded one small step at a time; the big breach arriving after you have already accepted the small ones.
Warning signs
- I let the small thing go.
- The small things are getting bigger.
One thing to do
Respond to the first violation, proportionately and in writing; the cost of the first response is the cheapest defence available.
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