Wisdom and Tact

Daniel 2:14-16

This is Part Two of Daniel's tips on disagreeing with your boss. To set the scene for you, Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream and wants someone to interpret it. But he knows that if he tells the dream to his advisors, they'll make up an interpretation that they think he wants to hear (sounds like those subordinates that always tell you what you want to hear). So he tells his advisors to tell him what he dreamed as well as the interpretation. Naturally, they thought this request was unfair, but when they couldn't do it, Nebuchadnezzar was ready to kill everyone in the court, including Daniel. When the executioner came to Daniel, "Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact." The executioner explains the problem, Daniel asks for a little time, and eventually he explains the dream.

You know, if an executioner came to your office door, I can think of a lot of potential reactions, but very few of them have anything to do with "wisdom and tact." Yet that's sometimes exactly what's required. When your boss is being irrational, don't get defensive--respond with wisdom and tact. When an undeserving coworker gets a promotion, don't hostile--respond with wisdom and tact. Wisdom is knowing what to say, when to say it, and especially what not to say. It's avoiding defensiveness and personal attacks. It's not being hasty. Tact is all about how you say something, your tone of voice and body language. Can you be respectful even when others aren't? Notice that Daniel responded before he had received any assurance of a stay in the execution. That is, he used wisdom and tact, regardless of the outcome. In today's workplaces, there are lots of king's executioners, and they come in many different forms. The next time you see one, try to resist the urge to scream and flea the "city." Try to resist the urge to fight back. Instead, try to respond with wisdom and tact.