Key Elements of Social Intelligence (SI)

What are the key elements of social intelligence?

1. Verbal Fluency and Conversational Skills.

The highly socially intelligent person can carry on conversations with a wide variety of people, and is tactful and appropriate in what is said. Combined, these represent what are called “social expressiveness skills.”

2. Knowledge of Social Roles, Rules, and Scripts.

 Socially intelligent individuals learn how to play various social roles. They are also well versed in the informal rules, or “norms,” that govern social interaction. In other words, they “know how to play the game” of social interaction. As a result, they come off as socially sophisticated and wise.

3. Effective Listening Skills. 

Socially intelligent persons are great listeners. As a result, others come away from an interaction with an SI person feeling as if they had a good “connection” with him or her.

4. Understanding What Makes Other People Tick.

Great people watchers, individuals high in social intelligence attune themselves to what others are saying, and how they are behaving, in order to try to “read” what the other person is thinking or feeling. 

5. Role Playing and Social Self-Efficacy.

The socially intelligent person knows how to play different social roles – allowing him or her to feel comfortable with all types of people.

6. Impression Management Skills

ersons with SI are concerned with the impression they are making on others. They engage in what I call the “Dangerous Art of Impression Management,” which is a delicate balance between managing and controlling the image you portray to others and being reasonably “authentic” and letting others see the true self. This is perhaps the most complex element of social intelligence.