Social Intelligence

1. Social Intelligence Understanding & Improving Workplace Relationships Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D. 11-14-07

2. Question? • What one physical sensation & emotional reaction is impossible to create by ourselves, i.e., can only be created by interaction with another person? Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

3. Question? • What comes to mind when you hear the term “social intelligence”? Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

4. Your Goals? • What are some of the goals you’d like to accomplish this morning? Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

5. My Major Goals? • Introduce you to some new concepts related to social intelligence. • Stimulate your thinking about your personal & work related social interactions—challenge some beliefs & reinforce others. • Have you walk away with a few helpful tips that will improve your social intelligence in your personal & professional lives. Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

6. Overview • What is intelligence? • What is social intelligence? • What are the major tenets? • What are implications for personal effectiveness? • What are implications for training/development professionals? Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

7. What Is Intelligence? • Traditional views—psychometrics • E. Thorndike 1920’s • Mechanical intelligence • Abstract intelligence • Social intelligence—ability to understand & manage men & women Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

8. What Is Intelligence? • Recent views – multiple intelligence • R. Sternberg – practical intelligence, e.g., “street smarts” • H. Gardner – 9+ types of intelligence • Interpersonal • Intrapersonal Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

9. What Is Intelligence? • Recent views (con’t) • D. Goleman – emotional intelligence • Knowing feelings – self-awareness • Managing emotions – not being hijacked • Motivating self – delay gratification • Recognizing emotions in others – empathy • Handling relationships – interpersonal skill # Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

10. What Is Social Intelligence? • “Acting wisely in human relationships” • 2 major elements (can be developed) • 1. Social Awareness (mindsight) • Primal empathy – feeling, sensing n/v signals • Attunement – listening, attuning receptively • Empathetic accuracy – understanding thoughts, feelings, intentions • Social cognition – knowing how social world works Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

11. What Is Social Intelligence? • 2 major elements (con’t) • 2. Social Facility • Synchrony – smooth nonverbal interaction • Self-presentation – presenting self effectively • Influence – shaping outcome of interactions • Concern – caring about others & acting appropriately # Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

12. What Are the Major Tenets? • Research has ignored social brain • Research conclusion: we’re wired to connect • Social neuroscience, e.g., injuries & fMRI • Primate animal studies, e.g., social stress • Evolutionary psychology, e.g., selection of prosocial behavior • Developmental psychology, e. g., infant/caretaker synchrony; attachment styles Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

13. What Are the Major Tenets? • Emotions are contagious • Agmgdala – radar for danger & threat & trustworthiness (basis of survival) • Mirror neuron systems – cause us to mimic actions in others • Cause us to “catch” another’s feeling, e.g., scary movies, crowd behavior Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

14. What Are the Major Tenets? • Moods often result from emotional contagion—effect performance • Relationships affect • How genes operate • Epigenetics – how experience influences genes • Our biology • Nurturing relationships support health & buffer against disease • Toxic relationships compromise health Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

15. What Are the Major Tenets? • 2 types of social brain circuitry • Low Road • Automatic -- default mode • Extremely fast (1/20 second) • Subconscious • Nonverbal • Centers in limbic system – amygdala Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

16. What Are the Major Tenets? • 2 types of social brain circuitry (con’t) • High Road • Voluntary, conscious control • Requires effort & intent • Slow • Verbal • Centers in frontal cortex: orbitofrontal & anterior cingulate Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

17. What Are the Major Tenets? • High road can override the low road • Nurturing relationships can reprogram unhealthy brain circuits • Humans have preset, wired-in, default patterns for • Empathy • Kindness • Play # Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

18. What Are Implications for Personal Effectiveness? • Choose relationships carefully—they affect our physical & psychological well being • Recognize the dark triad (toxic relationships) • Narcissists – Others exist to adore me • Machiavellians – My ends justify the means • Psychopaths – You are an object • Model feelings we want in others – our feelings are contagious, e.g., “happy face advantage”; laughter Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

19. What Are Implications for Training/Development Professionals? • Understand that emotional state (mood) matters in most types of performance: • Attention, learning & memory • Speed & efficiency of performance • Problem solving & creativity • High status/power individuals in group creates emotional contagion & sets tone Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

20. What Are Implications for Training/Development Professionals? • Manage low road reactions of fear, anxiety, & stress by… • Creating positive climates – building rapport • Helping people feel safe • Being consistent, trustworthy • Providing structure, limits, & rules • Giving choices & involving employees in decisions • Anticipating problems • Addressing problems immediately • Not overprotecting Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

21. What Are Implications for Training/Development Professionals? • Build on high road strengths by… • Listening attentively!!! • Appealing to logic, reason, & reflection • Keeping perspective, e.g., positives vs negatives; reversing perspectives (empathy) • Looking for ways of reframing problems • Tapping into creativity to solve problems Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

22. What Are Implications for Training/Development Professionals? • Use technology carefully – there’s no substitute for face-to-face interaction • Structure work & learning tasks around natural desire for social connection, support, kindness, empathy, & play (e.g., jigsaw classroom) # Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

23. Conclusions • Humans are wired as social beings • Our personal & work lives are optimized only to extent that there are direct, positive & meaningful social interactions • Organizations function best when social connections are well integrated into organizational structures & processes Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

24. Conclusions • Alvin Weinberg, former director of Oak Ridge National Lab, coined term “technological fix,” in vanguard of the utopian vision that science & technology would offer panaceas for human & social ills…now in his 90’s…says…. Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

25. Conclusions • “Technology makes it easier & easier to disconnect from other people, & from ourselves….Lives are lived sitting in front of a computer screen, getting personal connections at a distance. We live in a metaworld, with our focus fixed on the latest technology. But the issues that matter most are families, community, & social responsibility.” Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

26. Questions & Discussion • What part of the social intelligence concept is new for you? What part is old news? • What part do you agree with? Disagree with? • How will you use these ideas? Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.

27. Resources • Goleman, D. G., (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. New York: Bantam. • Goleman, D. G., (2006). Social intelligence: The revolutionary new science of human relationships. New York: Bantam. • www.danielgoleman.info Henry O. Patterson, Ph.D.