RRR_Tact
The idea of tact is often more easily expressed than being tactful itself. Tact is explained in many different ways, but it actually is an ability to allow people to do the things that they most naturally would like to do anyway, allow people to make the choices that they need to make in order to satisfactorily, live out their lives with as much dignity as possible; with as much respect as possible with as much favorability as possible amongst each other.
And that's a difficult thing because all of us are so different and all of us are so devoted to our differences, even though we'd like to think that we're not. That in the instance of an individual who is so tightly wound to their own perception of who they must be; with regard to other people around them, tact is a trait that is really appreciated when it's applied, but very difficult sometimes to master.
When we were in the military, it was said the tact is the ability to get soldiers to follow you into hell and to thank you for the journey.
I don't know if that's a good explanation of tact, but I know the tact involves the ability to express what needs to be done to other people without them being offended in the process, but nevertheless getting the process done, and often this means something that's not going to be comfortable to them.
I always remember my football coach and I always remember that he would say to us things about needing to practice and needing to become stronger. And he was saying words that had pain in them, because trust me, when I tell you that two a day practices are painful.
But in the end, when you have applied those 2 a day practices to the routines of running your plays in a game, you win.
And so the exercise of tact in behalf of the coach in getting us to do those things that we needed to do. And yet, not losing any dignity and yet, being happy about the process. My goodness that was something that was not easy to do.
And yet it was accomplished by him and how I think about him, saying things to us like, "Look after you win the game, be gentleman, go over there and shake their hands," or he would say "You represent a football team that is the extraordinary of the students in the school because as you've noticed not all of the young men in this school have decided they want to play football, So you're extraordinary in that instance, you're going to also be extraordinarily good leaders and on Friday, you will dress and you will wear a tie and you will help the teachers in your classes and if I ever hear that you're not helping your teachers in your classes and you're not being leaders, you and I will meet and we will discuss it privately in my office.
But, you will not like that conversation."
He would say things like, "We are a small team. So what we have to be as fast, but also what we have to be is enjoying the game fellas, you get to play the game, and that in and of itself is reward enough."
Coach was an inspiration, but he did so tactfully, you know, I don't remember him; ever raising his voice and yelling at us? I don't, I think that he just had this ability to communicate by his presence, that he had the power.
And that he had the ability to to lead us, to do the kinds of things that we needed to win.
Tact is a trait that can be learned. Dale Carnegie training is worth taking. Join a toastmaster's speech training club, a club that is positive in its basis and will help you to become better educated about how to relate to people.
Be a club officer, seek out the opportunities to lead others. Because tact is something that as you apply it, you grow it; if you never speak in groups or lead groups, then you don't have to use much tact and so you may not have much tact. But if you have to use it as you use it, you'll make mistakes. But as you grow;
from making those mistakes and learning from them, you'll develop this. After all the master; is Jesus.
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