Social Intelligence is hot.
I added a new category at Sources of Insight to put the power of Social Intelligence at your fingertips:
(Note that you can get to Social Intelligence from the menu under “More Topics …”)
I wanted a simple category to capture and consolidate the wealth of insights around interpersonal communication, relationships, conflict, influence, negotiation, and more. There are 95 articles in this category, and growing, and it includes everything from forging friendships to dealing with people you can’t stand, to building better relationships with your boss.
According to Wikipedia, “Social intelligence is the capacity to effectively negotiate complex social relationships and environments.”
There's a great book on Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman:
Social Intelligence, The New Science of Human Relationships
According to Goleman, “We are constantly engaged in a ‘neural ballet’ that connects our brain to the brains with those around us.”
Goleman says:
“Our reactions to others, and theirs to us, have a far-reaching biological impact, sending out cascades of hormones that regulate everything from our hearts to our immune systems, making good relationships act like vitamins—and bad relationships like poisons. We can ‘catch’ other people’s emotions the way we catch a cold, and the consequences of isolation or relentless social stress can be life-shortening. Goleman explains the surprising accuracy of first impressions, the basis of charisma and emotional power, the complexity of sexual attraction, and how we detect lies. He describes the ‘dark side’ of social intelligence, from narcissism to Machiavellianism and psychopathy. He also reveals our astonishing capacity for ‘mindsight,’ as well as the tragedy of those, like autistic children, whose mindsight is impaired.”
According to the Leadership Lab for Corporate Social Innovation, by Dr. Claus Otto Scharmer (MIT OpenCourseware), there is a relational shift:
The Rise of the Network Society
And, of course, Social is taking off as a hot technology in the Enterprise arena. It’s changing the game, and changing how people innovate, communicate, and collaborate in a comprehensive collaboration sort of way.
Here is a sampling of some of my Social Intelligence articles to get you started:
5 Conversations to Have with Your Boss
6 Styles Under Stress
10 Types of Difficult People
Antiheckler Technique
Ask, Mirror, Paraphrase and Prime
Cooperative Controversy Over Competitive Controversy
Coping with Power-Clutchers, Paranoids and Perfectionists
Dealing with People You Can't Stand
Expectation Management
How To Consistently Build a Winning Team
How To Deal With Criticism
How Do You Choose a Friend?
How To Repair a Broken Work Relationship
Mutual Purpose
Superordinate Goals
The Lens of Human Understanding
The Politically Competent Leader, The Political Analyst, and the Consensus Builder
Work on Me First
If you really want to dive in here, you can brows the full collection at:
Enjoy, and may the power of Social Intelligence be with you.