TACT WINS MANY FRIENDS

Tact is a delicate quality. It is difficult to define and hard to cultiate! "ut it is indis#ensa"le to one $ho
$ishes to %et on in the $orld soon and s&oothly. Talent is no &atch for tact. We see its failure
eery$here. In the race of life! co&&onsense has the ri%ht of $ay.
The day has %one $hen a &an could "oast of his su#eriority. These are days of coo#eration and
interde#endence. We hae fello$'$or(ers. We are all in %rou#s. We are held u# or #ulled do$n "y #u"lic
o#inion. We stand "y $hat other #eo#le thin( of us.
When we use the word tact we do not mean strategy. Do not mean trickiness or deceit. We
know that it is bad policy to fool people. As Abraham Lincoln once said, you can fool all the people
some of the time, and some of people all of the time.
Eery &an is found out sooner or later for $hat he is. There are shar# eyes $atchin% eery &an. )ardly
eer does a tric(y unrelia"le &an &a(e #er&anent success.
By tact we mean commonsense and courtesy as applied to pleasing or influencing of other
people. In the u##er layer of "usiness life $e do not fool #eo#le nor lay tra#s for the&. We $in the& "y
our &anner and "y &ethods $hich they a##roe. When sy&#athy is added to tact! tact is not a &ere
&atter of &anner. It is a##reciated as &ar( of sincerity.
We hae learned &uch in the #ool of hard (noc(s. Stri(es and loc(outs and "an( and la$suits and loss
of trade hae tau%ht us &uch. Why are $e no$ interested in the art of handlin% #eo#le* For centuries
$e &ishandled the&. That is the reason.
We are no$ tryin% to #reent clashes and conflicts. We are tryin% to secure %ood$ill fro& e&#loyees as
$ell as all sections of society. We are tryin% to reduce friction. We hae to a##reciate tact as a "usiness'
"uildin% force! as also as a lu"ricant of social! #ersonal relationshi#s.
We hae learned that it is foolish and costly to thrust our disli(es do$n other #eo#le+s throats. We are
sure no$ that our #lans are &ore li(ely to "e carried out if $e &a(e #eo#le to "eliee in the&. We are
learnin% that a &an can $in &ore friends if he does not $ear ar&our and carry a clu" in his hand.
This is to ta(e a (indly interest in the &an $ho& $e are %oin% to deal $ith. This has a &a%ical effect.
,ust to consider his #oint of ie$ &a(es all the difference "et$een failure and success. A tactful &an!
$hen he is tal(in% to an e&#loyee or a friend! notices the effect of his $ords. )e tries to secure
attention. )e o"seres the effect of his $ords to the &an. )e realises that his #ur#ose is to influence the
&an in his faour! not to anta%onise hi&.
It is not easy for a "usy &an! oer$hel&ed $ith the "urden of his o$n affairs! to %ie a cordial %reetin%
to isitors $ho co&e to his office. In his heart! he re%ards the& as intruders! tres#assin% u#on his ti&e.
-ut he &ust ta(e hi&self in hand and "e #olite. At least! he &ust "e friendly.
It $as said of one #olitician. /The trou"le $ith hi& is that he does not (no$ ho$ to sha(e hands.0
This is a serious handica# to any one as $ell as to a #olitician. Many &en s#oil an interie$ "y a##earin%
"ored or "y %iin% a clu&sy! non'cordial %reetin% to a isitor.
To offer a li&# hand indifferently to a &an is li(e thro$in% a s#lash of cold $ater on hi&. The first fie
seconds of %reetin% &a(e or &ar any &eetin%.
Tact is necessary for every man is interested in himself. There are few exceptions to this rule.
Naturally! a &an is &ore interested in hi&self than in anyone else. To interest hi&! you &ust tal( first
a"out his affairs! not a"out your o$n. No one is eer "ored or hostile if you tal( to hi& a"out hi&self.
Tal( to a co&#etent &an a"out $hat he is tryin% to do. An inentor is interested in $hat he is tryin% to
inent! and ery li(ely he has lost interest in his earlier inentions. It is $ise to tal( to a &an a"out his
#ro"le&! $hateer it is. That is $hat he is thin(in% a"out.
1uestions are al$ays effectie. Al&ost any &an $ill co&e out of his shell if you as( hi& his o#inion on a
su"2ect that concerns hi&. Ma(e hi& a listener and he thin(s you are a "ore. As( hi& questions until he
"e%ins to as( you questions. Then you &ay "e sure he is interested.
T.E. 3a$rence "eca&e the /uncro$ned 4in% of Ara"ia0 "y learnin% the Ara"ic lan%ua%e! "y dressin% and
liin% li(e an Ara"! "y listenin% to the Ara" chiefs! "y "ein% intensely interested in their affairs and "y
hel#in% the& to oerco&e their ene&ies! the Tur(s. )e "eca&e for a ti&e an Ara" and $on the loyalty
of the Ara" chiefs to hi&self.
A tactful &ana%in% director %ies a co&#lainant a chance to %et it off his chest. )e lets the &an tell hi&
a"out the %rieance. )e listens.
A %rieance is li(e #oison and hearin% is li(e a cure. Then! if the &an has "een $ron%ed! he can "e
%ien 2ustice. And if he has "een &ista(en! he $ill "e $illin% to "e sho$n his error.
A &e&ory for na&es and faces is %reat hel# to any &an. It #reents us fro& treatin% as a stran%er a
&an $ho& $e hae "een "efore. It is tactless to as( a "usy &an /Do you re&e&"er &e*0 It is ery
li(ely that he does not and he is #ut in an unco&forta"le #osition.
The &ore tactful $ay $ould "e to say. /I had the #leasure of seein% you four years a%o and I re&e&"er
quite distinctly $hat you said to &e.0
We (no$ that in handlin% #eo#le! there is a &a%ical effect in re&e&"erin% $hat they li(e. If a sho#
assistant says! /I (no$ you #refer %rey!/ the lady is #leased.
If a $aiter says! /We hae your faourite dish today0! the custo&er is #leased. It is an effectie touch of
courtesy to re&e&"er the $ishes and o#inions of others.
Tact is a subtle discrimination of not saying what you are itching to say, as it is on your ton%ue'
ti#. Say $hat the situation de&ands! not $hat your "ile su%%ests.