Nuance. A lovely word.

It means a subtle yet important difference in meaning, tone, word choice, feelings, colors, and expression.

Nuance is in all we do.

Look at a garden. There are so many nuances of green, and then the boldness of red roses with thorns. Think about tomato red and fire-engine red. Both are red, but there’s a subtle difference in the shade. That’s the nuance.

I think nuance is careful, exact, even fragile. It’s also bold and tough. It takes courage to say “it depends” when everyone wants a quick yes or no.

It seems to me that nuance is what’s true, if you care to look for it. If it matters to you.

We miss nuance when we move too fast. When we’re quick to sum up and judge, we lose depth and the minute, vital details. The same words spoken in a different tone carry a different meaning, and you only catch it if you slow down and pay attention.

We do it most with people. We sum someone up by a label, an age, a first impression, and miss who they really are. Their unique nuances.

Nuance is also in the work we do, and it’s a choice.

You can work with nuance, honoring details and exactitude. Or you can be sloppy and lazy, settling for “that’s good enough.”

Nuance offers quality.

I see it in coaching, which is both subtle and direct. The nuances are in the words used, the pauses, what is said and what is not being said. A pause can tell you as much as a sentence.

You see it in business too. Take customer service. A real person answers the phone, listens, and takes action to find a solution. Or there’s the recording: “Your call is important to us. Your wait time is 20 minutes.”

People feel that difference immediately. It’s your work. Your products and services can be rolled out in mass, or they can be carefully presented, with time taken to meet the needs of your customers, the people you serve and hope to please and keep.

Nuance is something to study and notice.

How does nuance work?

It works through attention. Slowing down, listening, and looking twice.

How do you see nuance in your life and work?

Where could you slow down today and notice the shade of red, the tone of voice, the detail that makes the difference?

I see nuance as important. So important that if I had a daughter, I might name her Nuance.

Thanks – Michael (he, him)

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