Communication Skills: Personality and Behaviour in Business

The perceived wisdom is that cognitive intelligence (IQ) is one of the most important factors for success in work.  This lesson suggests that Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence are more critical. 

This lesson covers the role of emotional and social intelligence within the context of work. 

John Mayer and Peter Salovey, who introduced the concept of emotional intelligence, suggested that it is ability based. 

Daniel Goleman in his best selling books suggested that emotional intelligence is a series of competences. 

This lesson looks at the various ways that emotional intelligence can be measured through commercially available psychometrics.

This lesson looks beyond the description of social intelligence as "people skills".

This lesson covers the four key principles of social intelligence.

In this lesson we look at the set of behaviours that make up social intelligence and social skills giving the SPACE formula.

Professor Howard Gardiner defined a theory of multiple intelligences.  Emotional and social intelligence are defined within this theory.  

This video defines what empathy is giving insights into how important it is in developing social and emotional intelligence.

Empathy is a fundamental component of  both emotional and social intelligence.  There is an intelligence within empathy itself that can be utilised in developing interpersonal relationships.

Human Factors covers a broad number of functions that study people's performance in their work and non-work environments.

Human Factors helps people to improve their effectiveness and sustain their efforts at work. 

This lesson looks at when Human Factors becomes useful to consider. 

A focused approach to working with Human Factors has a number of benefits. 

You respond and make choices based not on absolute reality, but according to how you perceive the world.  This lesson introduces perception in more detail.

This lesson covers how you experience the world through your senses.  There are more that the traditional five!

The things that you pay attention to create your perception of reality.  You are blind to those things outside of your attention. 

With change blindness, you don't notice things as they change around you.

Everybody filters information from the outside world through 3 main filters - Deletion, Distortion and Generalisation. 

This lesson covers how your beliefs, memories and values affect how you perceive and interpret situations. 

This lesson challenges the view that your memory works like a warehouse of files on a computer hard drive.

Everyone has a different perception of reality.  Other people's views are no less valid than yours. 

This video explores why moving beyond experiences requires us to acknowledge the lessons learned from the past, while simultaneously embracing the present with courage and a willingness to engage with a new reality.

This lesson looks at how your emotional state affects your physiology and your behaviour. 

This section looks at the way that the brain works when building interpersonal relationships.

This lesson covers how thinking can help and how it can hinder you in building interpersonal relationships. 

The way that your brain works with empathy.

The strange way that empathy creates and develops us as individuals and the fascinating neuroscience behind this.

This lesson looks at communication and how breakdowns in communication can occur. 

A lot of information is transmitted non-verbally when communication occurs.  This lesson covers the non-verbal communication within body language.

Incongruence is when the words used don't match the body language.

Metaphors and associations come from our experience and we apply them to the life that we know.  This lesson explores metaphors and associations in communication.

This lesson looks at what rapport is and why it is important.

Listening is a key component of good communication.  This lesson covers effective listening and poor listening skills. 

This video considers the ways that you can develop your active listening skills and so become more empathetic.

Indecisive leaders, egotistical leaders and narcissistic leaders can put up barriers to communication through their behaviour. 

Conflict is inevitable in business.  How you manage conflict is key to developing good interpersonal relationships. 

The most important emotional and social competence in managing conflict is empathy.  This lesson looks at ways that you can use empathy effectively. 

This interactive questionnaire gives you a chance to determine your Social Interaction Style.

Social interaction styles consider your preferred pattern of behaviour for a large number of situations.  This section looks at the four styles based on assertiveness and emotional control.

The Driver Style has a clear idea of their ambitions and goals, as well as the directness and forcefulness to achieve those goals. It also means that people like this will tend to have a competitive attitude, and they will generally follow their own ideas rather than work co-operatively with others.

This lesson reviews the Driver Style with particular reference to team working with some do's and don'ts when working with this style.

The Expressive Style thrives on the attention and approval of other people, and they're more motivated by praise and appreciation than most other types.  Despite their outgoing attitude, they're often unwilling to risk causing offence, and they'll often avoid possible confrontations. In other words, while Expressive Style is socially confident, they tend not to be particularly assertive or forceful.

This lesson reviews the Expressive Style with particular reference to team working with some do's and don'ts when working with this style.

The Amiable Style is consistent and reliable in their approach.   They prefer to operate in situations that follow established patterns, and to avoid unplanned developments.   Because of this, people with the Amiable Style tend to be quite resistant to change, and will take time to adapt to new situations.

This lesson reviews the Amiable Style with particular reference to team working with some do's and don'ts when working with this style.

The Analytical Style likes to have a clear idea of their role, and what's expected of them, so they are far more motivated in situations that are clearly regulated and planned. In general, the Analytical Style is not independent by nature, and will prefer not to be left to make decisions or take actions without the support of others.

This lesson reviews the Analytical Style with particular reference to team working with some do's and don'ts when working with this style.

Each style has a unique set of priorities and preferences regarding relationships and tasks, and each prefers to work at its own pace.  These can lead to tension. 

Each Social Interaction Style reacts to increasing pressure in its own way around using their assertiveness and working with their emotions. 

In conflict, the Driver Style will become autocratic.  This lesson looks at why and how to work with this style in conflict. 

In conflict, the Expressive Style will attack.  This lesson looks at why and how to work with this style in conflict. 

In conflict, the Amiable Style will acquiesce.  This lesson looks at why and how to work with this style in conflict. 

In conflict, the Analytical Style will avoid.  This lesson looks at why and how to work with this style in conflict. 

This lesson covers what happens with the Social Interaction Styles if the pressure continues to increase.