Social Intelligence: How to Develop Social Intelligence

Social intelligence is the ability to possess self-awareness and understand one’s relationship to others in social situations. Socially intelligent people practice active listening and interpersonal engagement in social interactions. Simply, social awareness equates to common sense or street smarts.

Research in social neuroscience shows that social intelligence is a key skill for professional and personal development and requires qualities such as empathy, effective listening, and a rich understanding of emotions. Influential texts on social intelligence include Karl Albrecht’s 2005 Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success and Daniel Goleman’s 2007 Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships.

Practicing self-regulation, self-awareness, and social awareness—as well as building relationship skills—can lead to smoother interactions in social environments:

1. 1. Relationship skills: Teamwork, active listening, and kindness toward others are all trademarks of strong relationship skills.
2. 2. Self-regulation: Self-regulation defines one’s ability to think before acting. This can be helpful in problem-solving situations and developing the social facility to consider other points of view before acting or speaking.
3. 3. Self-awareness: This trait means you understand the effects of your actions and how others perceive you and your actions in the social world. A sense of humor, humility, and not taking yourself too seriously are key aspects of self-awareness.
4. 4. Social awareness: Synchrony between yourself and others makes for solid social awareness. Understanding others’ emotional states and how to behave based on that understanding speaks to good social awareness.

Understanding human relations allows you to play various social roles and succeed in social situations. To develop social intelligence, follow these tips:

1. 1. Be an active listener. Listen to what others are saying and avoid interrupting or speaking over them. Show respect for opinions and warmly respond to people’s ideas or answers.
2. 2. Empathize with others. To practice empathy, care for others’ well-being, and work to understand their emotions and rationale.
3. 3. Focus on teamwork. Humility and collaboration are crucial aspects of social intelligence. The ability to compromise and try out new ideas exemplifies strong interpersonal skills.
4. 4. Practice your communication skills. Communication and conversational skills are a significant part of social intelligence. Strong communication involves the ability to speak confidently and make small talk.
5. 5. Use appropriate facial expressions. Presence and facial expressions also play into social intelligence; nodding when others speak, smiling at jokes, and expressing sadness at bad news are all examples of appropriate facial expressions.

MasterClass at Work is the learning platform to help unlock the full potential of your employees and inspire a learning lifestyle in everyone. From negotiation to mindfulness to baking—these are just a few things your teams can explore.