Finesse, Nuance, and Tact
This week is a continuation of last week’s muse on the topic of team chemistry. As a quick recap, last week I posited that team chemistry is not a mysterious, undefinable force that you just “feel,” but is instead the result of careful planning, well defined roles and responsibilities, effective accountability and incentive frameworks, the adoption of a continuous improvement mindset, a maniacal focus on the customer, a keen understanding of interpersonal dynamics, and strong leadership.
There are a few additional aspects of team chemistry that are not included in our list and those are the concepts of finesse and tact. Understanding nuance is also critically important to team chemistry. These are skills that don’t receive much attention in the myriad lists of “top skills for the future,” but I would argue that they form the foundation for all high-functioning teams that sustain their performance over the long term.
To get started, let’s look to Oxford Dictionaries for the definition of these terms:
Nuance: a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.
Finesse: do (something) in a subtle and delicate manner.
Tact: skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.
To illustrate the importance of these skills, let’s go back to last week’s musical performance example. Yes, mechanical precision and technical prowess are important in the creation of a compelling performance, but nuance, finesse, and tact are equally so.
For a specific example, my wife and I took in a local variety act a few weeks ago that we had never heard before. We knew a few of the individual musicians and were confident the band was going to be great given the skill level these folks have demonstrated in previous performances with other acts. As we expected, the technical precision of each band member was outstanding. Unfortunately, as a group, the outcome did not live up to the hype. Why? The guitar player was incredible, but he had his amplifier turned up to 11 (old Spinal Tap reference) and was literally stomping on everyone else’s contributions. As other members jockeyed for position, the entire vibe was lost and we left the venue disappointed. The band lacked chemistry.
Had each bandmate approached their roles with nuance, finesse, and tact, the outcome would have been very different. Yes, the talent was obvious, but they did not shine as a band because one band member lacked these key skills.
In a business setting, I’ve seen this same concept play out over and over throughout my career. Teams that put up with “genius jerks,” “Bob, the bull in the china shop,” or “Suzie the loudmouth who talks to hear herself talk,” may excel for short bursts on a project or two, but they rarely maintain meaningful team chemistry over the long haul. In contrast, teams that are composed of individuals who work with finesse and tact, and understand the nuance that exists in the spaces between the technical definition of roles and responsibilities across the team have a much higher probability of achieving and maintaining chemistry through time.
So how can I begin operating with more finesse and tact? The answer is complicated, but a great place to start is to focus on three fundamental skills: active listening, situational awareness, and self-awareness. Understanding nuance and operating with finesse and tact requires one to close the mouth and open the ears and mind. It requires that I’m aware of my environment and can properly perceive myriad interrelations between people and processes. It requires that I can consciously evaluate my own actions and check in with myself about how I’m feeling about a particular challenge or situation. Understanding nuance and operating with finesse and tact are therefore higher level skills that are developed over time.
Before I let you go, I want to be clear about one thing. Teams can operate with finesse and tact, and hold one another accountable for failure and challenges in a constructive manner. Understanding nuance and acting with finesse and tact does not mean that passive aggressive behaviors are allowed to prevail and accountability is absent from the team dynamic. Being direct and results-driven and operating with finesse and tact are not mutually-exclusive to one another. I would argue that understanding nuance and operating with finesse and tact enables more meaningful human interaction and effective communication, not less.
