In a world where tact is the best power to have in a powerful world, I find myself more frequently encountering individuals that want to be combative instead of cooperative. They lack tact and therefore, lack class.
How do you survive? How do I survive?
What do you do when that behavior and line of action starts making you look uncooperative or combative?
I operate in a profession that is tactical, aggressive, fast-paced, political, and downright fascinating. Do I love those mom and pop jobs, local stores, and slow-paced lifestyles? Absolutely. At home and on my days off. But I have the love of war in my veins, the strength to battle, and the ability to play the long game. I want…no… I need corporate structure, a metaphorical ladder to climb, and the backbone to play with “the big dogs.”
I can play the “who has bigger balls” with the best of them and [at least] half the time I would win. Men will go to full-out war over territory, whose d!@k is bigger, or to remain the Lion of the pack. The pack figuratively being the industry or where they land on the Corporate ladder. You also don’t want to go to war with a woman who can wear four-inch heels for twelve hours a day, drinks whiskey like your wing-man, and knows how to leave her personal shit at the door. Business is business. You don’t get anywhere in life if you constantly take shit personally. We don’t have room in this world to be sensitive, immature, or to complain without doing something about it. Take that elsewhere.
That doesn’t mean that even in the most aggressive and crude warfare that one cannot have tact. If you can maintain that, well, I believe that offers you an edge that not many possess. Have you ever seen someone be brutally honest, provide constructive criticism, all while smiling and making the person across from them never feel bad about themselves?
Have you ever been able to approach a disaster of a situation with vigor and determination and leave with a win but also with their respect?
It is all about tact.
If you have never witnessed someone leave a conversation unsure if they were just praised or ridiculed because it was with class that they were put back in their place… Please find a way to witness this. It is political magic and it is beautiful.
I understand that in my world people have to be thick-skinned to make a point, situations have to be manipulated to achieve end goals, and sometimes stubbornness proves effective. My question is when does that cross the line into being uncooperative?
When someone starts being combative and uncooperative, they lose the respect that enables them to get shit done. Isn’t it hard enough in this world to get shit done and to find people who want to see it through to the end? It doesn’t take a high IQ to understand that we have to retreat at times and attack when it is again to our advantage. We have to hold on to the loyal people and the good work ethic.
We have to maintain tact to maintain success.
Written by Tammy Lee
August 19th, 2018
Unrefined Life Adventures 