What is social intelligence? It’s sometimes referred to as common sense, street smarts, or tact. It’s not something you’re born with, but something that you accumulate through your successes and failures in social settings.
Social interactions aren’t everyone’s strong suit. In fact for some of us, they are pretty terrible. But never fear, there are some steps you can take to up your social game.
- Share your network. If someone in your network is explaining a challenge they are facing and you know someone who can help, facilitate that introduction.
- Withhold judgement. Judging people is easy, but practicing withholding judgement dramatically increases your capabilities in social situations. Being more open and forgiving will also increase your happiness.
- Look for the lesson in every interaction. Nothing creates more opportunity than adopting the mindset of a student. Everyone has something to teach you.
- Listen more than you speak. This is perhaps the most underutilized tool for social intelligence. These days most people listen to respond, not to understand. Give a person your full presence and you will be surprised at how your relationships grow.