Emotional Intelligence: Social Awareness

The third domain of emotional intelligence is social awareness. We've now moved from a focus on self to a focus on others. Social awareness is your ability to accurately pick up on emotions in others, perceiving what other people are thinking and feeling, even if you do not feel the same way. People with high social awareness have shifted from looking only at themselves to now being aware of what is going on around them. Many have probably heard the term empathy. It is one competency associated with social awareness. Empathy means taking an active interest in the other person's concerns and builds a bridge of understanding through communication.

Empathy does not equal agreement. You can be empathetic and understand another's perspective, yet not agree with it. An empathetic listener asks good questions and is eager to truly learn or understand. In other words, they're curious. Being an empathetic listener allows you to explore concerns in a way that usually leads to creative and effective problem-solving. Besides being empathetic, those with high social awareness also enable psychological safety in others. They create an environment where employees can speak up and know they won't be punished or humiliated for their ideas, questions, concerns, or even if a mistake is made. It plays a big role in someone's confidence, creativity, trust, and productivity.

In fact, a 2017 Gallup report found that if an organization increased psychological safety, employees would be more engaged and would lead to a 12% increase in productivity. So what are some strategies to help you improve your social awareness? Step into the shoes of others and see the world from their perspective. Learn to appreciate their viewpoints. Ask questions to understand the entire situation. Reflect and paraphrase to seek deeper clarity. Take time to truly listen and observe, this includes body language, tone of voice, and words used. Focusing on your own social awareness will have huge benefits to you and others. It allows you to form strong relationships and friendships. It promotes compassion and empathy, helps you understand strengths and weaknesses, and improve your overall social and emotional wellbeing.