WORKPLACE COLLABORATION
TRUST AND TACT: THE HIGH PERFORMING CEMENT
ARE YOU BUILDING OR BREAKING DOWN WALLS? BY DR. SHARI FRISINGER
AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH OUR CHARACTER, “T” BEGINS THE GROUPING OF OUR FINAL THIRD OF OUR TRAITS (SEE THE END OF THIS ARTICLE FOR A RECAP OF THE FIRST SIX LETTERS). “T”, MUCH LIKE “H”, HAS A DUAL MEANING – TRUST AND TACT. THESE TWO TRAITS WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER AND STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER. TACT BUILDS TRUST AND TRUST ALLOWS YOU TO USE THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TACT.
TRUST Trust is the cornerstone of leadership. Without trust, you might be forced to use a more authoritarian style of leadership — reactive and demanding instead of supporting and proactive toward the end goal. Without trust, you might have employees or a workforce that is apathetic, unmotivated and quick to leave at the end of the day. You will probably notice less participation and engagement in meetings. In addition, your risk for safety infractions can and possibly will increase. What exactly do we mean by
trust? Warren Bennis, in his book On Becoming a Leader, lists four components of trust: 1. Dependability – “Staying the course” to achieve the desired vision; maintaining the same demeanor no matter what the situation.
2. Consistency – Doing exactly what you ask others to do. There is no disconnect between your thoughts, your words and your actions.
3. Reliability – Supporting others when they need that support, being there for others when it matters to the other person, not necessarily when it matters to you.
4. Integrity – Staying true to your word; honoring your commitments.
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Trust is one of Lencioni’s six dysfunctions of a team; in fact, it is the foundation of his pyramid. He incorporates the ‘comfortable’ elements in that any mistakes or errors made, or any vulnerabilities shared, will not be used against the person. It is accepting we all have a past, we all make mistakes, and we all have areas we are strong in and those we can use some improvement in. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, and it is not a sign of strength to hold grudges. In other words, it is being authentic and accepting others as they reveal their own authenticity. Trust is a state of mind. It is a belief that others have about you and your thoughts, words and actions. It is the belief that you are acting in their best interest and that you won’t hurt or embarrass them, let them down, or play any “gotcha!” games with them. Trust provides confi dence and assurance to your direct reports that they can anticipate your response based on your prior responses. This is critical in times of stress, bad news, crises and confl ict.
TACT Tact is usually coupled with diplomacy. Tact is vocalizing your thoughts in a manner that will not hurt, demean, demoralize or demotivate the other person. Tact is calmly and supportively advising
someone to change their behavior; lack of tact is harshly telling them they acted inappropriately. Tact is a combination of empathy, self- awareness, awareness of others, and servant leadership. It is looking out for the good of the organization and the person. Ask yourself “If I were in their shoes, how would I prefer this be handled?” Tact motivates, reduces confl ict and allows vulnerability. Tact can be considered the middle of the Oreo cookie. The adage of ‘catching more fl ies with honey than with vinegar’ certainly sums up the reasons to use tact when called for.
TRUST AND TACT COMBINED As you can see, tact is an essential piece of trust. When you combine these, you can express your thoughts through supportive and professional words and actions. You hold yourself accountable for the impact your words and actions have on others and you insure the message you think you are conveying is what you want to convey*.
Using these two in tandem demonstrates you understand the other person and know what they can handle and the tone of the conversation that will be in their best interest. Trust allows the
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