The Power of Social Intelligence: 10 ways to tap into your social genius

Tony Buzan

Contents

Title Page

Dedication

List of Mind Maps®

Chapter 1: What is Social Intelligence – And Why Does it Matter?

Chapter 2: Reading People – Body Language and How to Master It

Chapter 3: The Art of Listening

Chapter 4: Making Connections

Chapter 5: How to Shine in Groups

Chapter 6: ‘Attitood’ About Attitude

Chapter 7: Negotiations – How to Win Friends and Influence People

Chapter 8: Social Graces – Or What to Do When …

Chapter 9: Signposts for Social Success

Chapter 10: The ‘Power of Ten’

Social Intelligence Survey Questionnaire – Answers

Picture Section

Acknowledgements

Other Books by Tony Buzan

Copyright

About the Publisher

What Is Social Intelligence –

And Why Does It Matter?

Chapter One

 Does the thought of walking into a party full of total strangers fill you with dread?

 Does the idea of making small talk with your possible future in-laws leave you a gibbering wreck?

 Have you ever been introduced to a group of people, only to forget their names instantly and flounder for something to say?

 Do you want to make a good impression at a job interview, but are so nervous you can hardly speak?

 Do you wish that you could happily talk to people and make friends easily?

If any of the above scenarios has struck a chord with you, or if your Social Intelligence could do with a bit of a boost, The Power of Social Intelligence is designed to help you.

‘Social Intelligence’ is simply the degree to which we ‘get along with’ and relate to other people around us. Human beings are, after all, social animals, and this ability is absolutely vital if we are to get on in life and enjoy ourselves.

Social Intelligence – A Definition

Almost all of us, if we are being honest, would admit that our ‘social skills’ could do with a quick polish, and there is a vast range of skills which comprise Social Intelligence.

To begin with, you need to be able to relate to people on a one-to-one basis, in small groups, to a whole roomful of people, and to even larger gatherings. You are involved in Brain-to-Brain communication. The human brain is the most complex, sophisticated and powerful organ in the known universe. To deal with one (your own!) is a hard-enough task. To deal simultaneously with large numbers of other brains successfully is surely a sign of genius!

Socially Intelligent people have to use all of the power of their own brains and bodies to communicate with and to ‘read’ others. They have to acquire attitudes that encourage others to grow, create, communicate and befriend, and they have to know both how to make and to keep friends!

This massively important intelligence also involves being able to negotiate, as a skilled canoeist does, the rapids of conflict and negotiation situations, mistakes and endings.

All of these skills require that the Socially Intelligent person is a superb conversationalist and listener, able to relate successfully with the wider world. Socially Intelligent people are comfortable with others from different backgrounds, ages, cultures and social strata, and (more importantly) are able to make those people feel relaxed and comfortable around them.

Managers need Social Intelligence to do their jobs effectively. So do sales assistants, receptionists, teachers, doctors, social workers, hotel staff … in fact, anyone who deals with any other people at all in the course of their day! Social IQ is one of the most important and beneficial intelligences that we can cultivate – and the good news is, it can be cultivated!

Social Intelligence – Strengths and Weaknesses

Take a few minutes and jot down on a large sheet of paper the areas of your life where you think that your social strengths and weaknesses lie. Make sure you consider both your home life and your work life – it is amazing how many successful business and professional people find talking to people in a social setting difficult!

Possible areas of your life to think about include:

 Listening to people

 Being aware of how other people are feeling

 ‘Selling’ yourself or your ideas

 Having a positive attitude towards yourself

 Having a positive attitude towards others

 Dealing with awkward or embarrassing situations gracefully

 Building good rapport with people

 Standing out in a crowd – for all the right reasons!

A Cautionary Tale of Social Intelligence – Part One

When I was a teenager I thought that the way to become popular was to be ‘smart’ and fit. I went to parties and social events flaunting my high IQ, analysing the faults in others, getting into discussions in which I always tried to prove that my ‘opponents’ were wrong and I was right, and showing off my good (but rigid!) physique.

Having been told that a high IQ and a fit body were the paths to success, I was taken aback by the number of enemies I was unintentionally making, and the lack of friendship my ‘smart/tough/correct’ presence was generating.

My realization that simply winning debates was not the way to social success was helped along by my father. Once, when I had won the battle – the argument – and lost the war in a social situation, my father gave me a little poem that he said would help me improve my social awareness. The poem went as follows:

Here lies the body of Jonathan Grey,

Who died defending his right of way.

He was perfectly right as he sped along

But he’s just as dead as if he’d been wrong!

I began to look around at those who were obviously more socially successful than me. I noticed that they were doing many things that at that time were alien to me, and the opposite of what I had been taught was ‘acceptable behaviour’ in my school life.

The most popular (and most happy!) people were always smiling and laughing and telling jokes (I ‘couldn’t!); they were expressive and open, helpful and considerate of others, and tended to avoid arguments. To make matters even worse for my sensitive teenage soul, they were much more relaxed, much more confident, and much more successful in attracting romance!

Gradually the light began to dawn. My IQ and muscles were not the only strengths I had to develop if I wished to be socially successful: I had to pay attention to the vitally important skills of understanding other people – of interpersonal skills – of Social Intelligence.

The Power of Social Intelligence will help save you the trouble of some of those unnecessary experiences I had, and bring you more rapidly the rewards that this amazing Intelligence can bring.

To survive and prosper in the maelstrom of social interactions and life, it is vital to understand and master the intricacies of this incredible intelligence. And it is not only your social life, and that of others around you that will benefit – being successful socially has a fortunate, immediate and positive impact on your wealth, and on your physical well being, as the following study reveals.

Want a Cure for Your Colds? Live a Varied Social Life!

Psychologist Sheldon Cohen, of Carnegie Mellon University, has confirmed previous studies that suggest that colleagues, relatives, friends and lovers can act as a ‘team’ to help protect you from the common cold. Previous studies suggested that people with more active social lives were both healthier and lived longer. Cohen’s study has refined this finding, pointing out that it is not simply the absolute number of social contacts that is important; it is their diversity.

Cohen and his colleagues recruited 151 women and 125 men and asked them to keep a record of all the people with whom they had contact at least once every two weeks. As well as the number of people contacted, they were asked also to record the diversity of their social network, breaking down their contacts into 12 categories, including neighbours, colleagues, parents, partners, etc.

The women and men were then exposed to the common cold virus and a record of their rate of infection was also kept.

Of those people with fewer relationships and with restricted social networks, 62 per cent developed colds. However, only 35 per cent of people with relationships from six or more of the categories developed a cold. Cohen theorizes that one of the reasons for the greater immunity is that diverse social networks induced a ‘feel-good factor’ that boosts the ability of the immune system to attack invading viruses.

The Power of Social Intelligence – An Overview

The Power of Social Intelligence is divided into 10 chapters, each one building on the others to help you accelerate the growth of your Social Intelligence as you progress through the book. This chapter, Chapter 1, has given you a quick insight into the importance and potential power of your Social IQ. Here is an overview of the rest of the book.

Chapter 2: Reading People – Body Language and How to Master It

More than half of all communication is through body language. In this chapter I will explain how you project an image of yourself through your body language, and how to read other people through theirs. The human body is a remarkable instrument. It plays the ‘music of communication’ in very subtle ways. If you learn to play it well, your social rewards will be great.

Chapter 3: The Art of Listening

The most Socially Intelligent people are not the ones who say the most – they are the ones who listen the most. In this chapter I will introduce you to the art and science of listening, showing you simple ways in which you can become a master of conversation by saying less!

Remember: you have one mouth and two ears. Think about it!

Chapter 4: Making Connections

It is the natural goal of every human being to want to win friends, to influence people, to be popular, to converse easily, to negotiate with others successfully, and to deal with social relationships in a way that produces the results they desire. Read this chapter and find out how!

Chapter 5: How to Shine in Groups

This chapter will show you how you can stand out from the crowd, and how you can use your brain to impress others at any social gathering!

Chapter 6: ‘Attitood’ About Attitude

Your attitude profoundly affects not only your behaviour, but also the behaviour of others around you, and therefore the behaviour of others with whom they interact, and so on in the giant ripple effect that spreads around the entire world. Your own self-confidence is the key to relating with others. I will explain the effects of peer pressure, and reveal one of the most important things that you can give your children.

Chapter 7: Negotiations – How to Win Friends and Influence People

How do you make sure that in any negotiations, both parties come away pleased with the outcome? How can you resolve disagreements and conflicts amicably? This chapter will show you everything you need to know!

Chapter 8: Social Graces – Or What to Do When …

Little gestures that show that you care are immensely Socially Intelligent. This chapter will give you a guide to understanding how such gestures work, and how you can use them for your own benefit and happiness.

Chapter 9: Signposts for Social Success

Developing your Social Intelligence will inevitably give you greater social status and influence. You can apply everything you have learned to guarantee your growing future success. This chapter introduces a great Social Intelligence Star, who is the epitome of the power and qualities of Social Intelligence.

Chapter 10: The ‘Power of Ten’

In the final chapter I explain how Social Intelligence is but one among many intelligences we all have, and how each one of your Multiple Intelligence interacts and strengthens all the others.

To help you in your journey, The Power of Social Intelligence features a host of apposite quotes, self-check exercises, fascinating stories and case histories. The book also has some special features:

 Mind Maps®. Mind Maps® are amazing thinking tools designed to help you see, outside your head, the ‘maps of thought’ that are inside your head! Mind Maps® use all the ‘equipment’ your whole brain uses every day to recognize, understand and remember things, including words, lines, colours and images. Mind Maps® simply make things easier for you wherever and whenever you use them. They are ‘Friends of your Brain’.

 Social Workouts. All the following chapters contain a Social Intelligence Workout – games and fun exercises that will help you develop and strengthen this Master Intelligence. You can look on them as your Mental Gymnasium – a place where you go to increase the strength, flexibility and stamina of your Social Intelligence muscles!

 Social Brain Boosters. These Brain Boosters take the form of Intentions or Affirmations. By repeating them to yourself on a regular basis, you will build up the maps of thought about these intentions in your head, and will increase the probability that what they say will become part of your new social behaviour and growing Social Intelligence. They have been specially designed to protect you from some of the pitfalls of incomplete and inaccurate Positive Thinking modes of thought.

Reading People –

Body Language and How To Master It

Chapter Two

‘Use what language you will, you can never say anything but what you are.’

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Your body is impeccably designed for the purpose of communicating with your fellow human beings. Your voice and your words obviously play a vital part in the art and science of social interaction. Be fully aware, however, that an even greater percentage of your communication with others is conveyed by – your body. In fact, studies have shown that fully 55 per cent of all meaning conveyed in any act of communication is given by your physical demeanour!

Your body will communicate, without words, whether you are happy or sad, well or unwell, fit or unfit, removed or engaged, confident or nervous, enthusiastic or bored, interested or indifferent, open or defensive, socially ill at ease or socially confident and in command.

And, of course, other people’s bodies will communicate the same things to you. If you are aware of this, you will be able to ‘read’ other people more accurately and empathetically, and so boost your Social Intelligence.

To give you an immediate experience of this, try the following game:

You are to imagine that you are an actor on stage, miming ultimate depression, despondency and despair.

Imagine that you have woken up in the morning to be told by the person you love the most that they find you unutterably grey, boring and dull and wish to have nothing more to do with you. Immediately after this you receive a message that your best friend is gravely ill. This is followed by a phone call from your bank manager informing you that you have just gone bankrupt and will have to sell immediately the house you have lived in and loved for many years.

As you sink into this imaginary total depression, observe what happens to your body. Check the following things:

 Your diminishing height

 Your posture

 Your energy levels

 Your senses and their lessening alertness

 Your breathing and its reduced depth and strength

 Your motivational levels

 Your desire for social contact

Now imagine exactly the opposite scenario, one of extreme joy and happiness. Imagine that you have woken up, and the person whom you have secretly loved and desired for many years tells you that they find you the most amazing, attractive, entertaining and wonderful person they have ever met; your gravely ill friend has just had a miraculous recovery; and you have a call informing you that you have just won the Lottery Jackpot.

Now check your posture, energy and motivational levels, the alertness of your senses and your sociability, and feel the difference!

The game you have just played demonstrates how every cell of your body acts as a major communicator to other people. Being aware of this allows you to begin the journey to becoming a master reader of body language. The findings of the game are confirmed in formal studies, like the ones that follow:

Case Study – See and Tell

Psychologists Geoffrey Beattie and Heather Shovelton of the University of Manchester have found that gesture helps convey huge amounts of information. They discovered that when people see storytellers’ gestures as well as hearing their voices, they pick up about 10 per cent more accurate information about the story than when they are listening to the voice alone. Beattie and Shovelton say: ‘gestures are every bit as rich communicatively as speech; meaning is divided between the hand and the mouth’.

Case Study – Mirror Neurons

An American study has shown that gesture and speech are simply two outlets for identical thought-processes, and both are designed to help you convey those thought-processes to other individuals.

Joanna Iverson, from the University of Missouri, and her colleague Esther Thelen, from the University of Bloomington, Indiana, point to the direct link between movement and meaning that is found in a group of brain cells known as ‘mirror neurons’, confirmed by a study of monkeys.

The mirror neurons fire both when a monkey makes a particular movement, and also when it watches another monkey making the same movement. Intriguingly, these mirror neurons are found in the region of the monkey’s brain that exactly corresponds to the speech-production region of the human brain.

Who Am I?

‘If you want to know yourself, see how others behave; if you want to understand others, look in your own heart.’

(Friedrich von Schiller)

The secret of Social Intelligence – to building rapport with others, setting them at ease in your company, making people genuinely glad to be with you, and mixing easily with all types of people – is to ‘know yourself’.

If you are comfortable ‘being in your skin’, you will have inner confidence about yourself, and will know your values and standards. That confidence will radiate out from you, through your body language, and will rub off positively on the people around you.

You can use this Socially Intelligent knowledge to your advantage, even if you are in a situation where confidence is the last thing you are feeling! If you stand with poise and make eye contact, you will exude an aura of confidence. Even better – the more you ‘act’ confident, the more confident you will find yourself becoming!

However, you should be aware that sometimes the signals you are sending out are not the ones you think you are! An acquaintance discovered that while she aimed to project an ultra-feminine and ultra-sexy image, she had no idea that this image was actually interpreted as being overpowering and intimidating!

Who Are You?

You now know that your body language reveals your true thoughts and feelings, despite yourself. And so, if you become adept at reading other people’s body language – sensing whether they are uncomfortable, bored, enthusiastic, upset or worried – you will increase your Social Intelligence multiple-fold.

Studies, like the ones below, have demonstrated that those people able to read body language have many advantages over those who cannot.

Case Study – Read Me, Benefit You!

A Harvard psychologist, Robert Rosenthal, and his students devised a test of people’s ability to read non-verbal body signals and language. Rosenthal and his students tested over 7,000 people both in the United States and 18 other countries.