Importance of Tact in Administration

I consider myself to be deficient in dealing with a situation tactfully. But then It has been aptly said that those who fail in love excel in love lyrics. Nevertheless, it does not mean that I do not understand the importance of Tact in life in general and service in particular.
What is Tact? Why is it necessary to inculcate if you are not possessed with this quality? The answer is not very far to seek. A tactless person makes a mess of things by way of handling a situation that requires nuanced approach to tackle it. Very often he/she is seen as a bete noire or a person who makes his presence undesirable or unsolicited due to his words or work. On the other hand, the presence of a person who is tactful is hailed for his presentation skill to solve a problem.
Put in short, Tact is inter-personal skill of a person by virtue of which he/she makes his/her task or target supported by others in more ways than one. Tact is useful as well as helpful in both the ways, i.e when situation is conducive to the accomplishment of objective and when the situation militates the accomplishment. In the first case our tactful behaviour in the helpful situation makes our purpose easily and speedily achieved. In the second case where the situation is perceived to be adverse, tact saves the said adverse situation against degenerating any further together with a scope of improvement in the militating circumstances.
No matter how many texts one may have read or the talent that one may have, a person without tact, generally speaking, is a person who should have been far more successful than he/she is as of now, if any. That is to say  unequivocally, that tact is more important than talent. A tactless person in course of dealing with a person or situation invites more problems than he can solve whereas the one having this skill gets his work done or purpose achieved efficiently and effectively.
While some are gifted with this skill called tact, it does not mean that the same cannot be cultivated. Here is some tips that facilitate cultivation of tact:
* (A) Being outspoken is an anathema in so far as efforts with respect to cultivation of tact is concerned. So avoid being outspoken howsoever tempting the situation may be.
* (B) Enhance the capacity of bearing with unpleasant remark that bosses, quite often misusing their official position in the hierarchy, make. In absence of any heated response on your part, the situation tends to regain normalcy. Thus a studied silence is always helpful towards arresting the situation to deteriorate any further. In many cases, bosses have been found to realise their hubris after his fit of rage is gone. Remember your self respect is not a thing that depends upon the foolish remarks of others. It depends upon how flawlessly and convincingly you do your duty albeit honestly. It builds not only your self respect but respect in the eyes of others also. This respect reaches the status of honour if you are polite in your behaviour and perform your duty with due diligence and without any conceit or hubris.
*(C) Tact is a positive quality and it is not a substitute for being deceptively innocent. It is not a tool in the hands of the unscrupulous to hide his/her malicious intention, rather it is a sort of soft skill  which is supplemental to our efforts based on hard work and integrity. It should never be used as a ruse to deceive others. In that case it is not a tact but tactics. We must say that tact is a major virtue and it is definitely not a tool or tactics.
*(D) Engaging in a fruitless discussion to show others your talent or capacity only tends to make your peers peeved internally. This one up manship is to be shunned. Also criticizing anyone is the surest means of being unpopular. Even when it is is unavoidable it should be done gently and definitely not in public gaze. If you do not heed to this aspect it will be a potential source of obstacle you may encounter during the performance of your task. Try to make them supporter of your efforts. If it is not possible do not offend them to become your silent opponent to oppose you latently or patently.
*(E)Avoid being too much informal by taking recourse to flattery to win favour of your boss/peers as the latter always lets you down at the slightest opportunity. Besides, your image also suffers at the workplace. Tact at any rate is not flattery. A tactful person knows how to say no in the most acceptable way without ruffling the one for/to whom he is required to say in the negative.
*(F) A person of tact is a keen observer and before speaking on a matter thinks twice about the words and gesture necessary for such speech or conversation.
  All said, it is submitted that these attributes do not come automatically in the personality but it needs to be worked upon consistently in order that it becomes the part of our communication skill.
R.R.Prabhakar,
25.03.2019.