Critical Chance

Tag: social intelligence

  • The hidden base

    You’re interviewing people for your new sales team, who would you rather hire?

    Group A: Scores high on an aptitude test, but has average levels of optimism

    Group B: High levels of optimism, but scores average on an aptitude test

    Turns out someone ran this study and if you picked B, your team performed better. Not just slightly, but significantly better.

    “The optimistic group outsold their more pessimistic counterparts by 19% in year one and 57% in year two.”

    Eric Barker, BUTWT

    While intelligence and skill are important, we are discovering that there’s this hidden section to the chart being less discussed and it’s at the base.

    75% of long term job success is predicted by three factors:

    • Social Connection â€“ the depth and breadth in your social relationships
    • Optimism â€“ the belief that your behavior matters in the midst of challenge
    • Perception â€“ the way that you perceive stress

    Most people have the equation flipped (they focus on IQ), but this month we’ll be diving deeper into the base.

    Buckle up because May is all about Social Connections; how to build them and why they matter.

  • Would you help?

    In 1973, John Darley ran an interesting study. His main goal was to understand if religion has any effect on “helping behavior.” The results uncovered the fundamental reasons we choose to act.

    The study went like this:

    Forty students were divided into two groups.

    The first group was given a sermon to memorize on the importance of being a Good Samaritan (helping others etc). They were told that soon after reading it, they would need to present the speech at another building across campus.

    The second group was given a talk on job opportunities and the same instructions. They too would need to walk across campus and present their speech in another building.

    There were two twists:

    Subjects were given different times that they had to deliver the sermon so that some would be in a hurry and others not.

    On the way to the building, everyone would pass the same stranger slumped in an alleyway, who looked to be in need of help.

    Q: Which group would be more likely to help the person in need?

    A: It wasn’t the Good Samaritan group. In fact, neither group stopped more often than the other to help.

    It turns out, the only factor that made a difference was how much of a hurry the students were in. 

    When we feel rushed, we are less likely to notice what’s going on around us. When it comes to living by our moral code, that can also fall by the wayside.

    How many times have you walked the same city block or taken the same route to work? When was the last time you really noticed what was going on right in front of you?

    Science is now gleaning more about human potential than ever before.

    Top performers notice the subtle factors in their environment, which leads them to faster and more creative solutions. It’s not their IQ or EQ (though those help), but instead their ability to perceive the situation that truly sets them apart.

    Are you preparing a Good Samaritan speech in your head, but ironically ignoring those who need help right in front of you?

  • A happiness epidemic

    In 1518, a case of dancing mania broke out on the streets of Strasbourg, France.

    When Frau Troffea started dancing, neighbors thought she was having a psychotic episode. But when she refused to stop, the spirit eventually became irresistible; others couldn’t help but join in.

    Within a few days, thirty more people started and, by the end of the month, four hundred villagers were shaking their tail-feathers.

    We tend to underestimate the power of those around us; our actions are influenced by those we interact with most.

    When we shine a positive light at work or at home, we are directly impacting our teammates and families. By focusing on our wellness, we can create a happiness mania that spreads for months; just like Frau Troffea.

    We can transform the well-being of those around us, including ourselves.

    And that’s worth dancing about.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help

    In a recent study, participants were asked to go out in NYC and ask random strangers to…

    • Fill out a survey – they estimated that 25% of strangers would do it, but 50% did
    • Borrow a cell phone – they estimated that 30% would say yes, but 48% did
    • Be walked to a nearby gym – they estimated 14%, but 43% did

    Sometimes we underestimate others’ willingness to help. We tend to focus on the costs of saying yes, overlooking the costs of saying no.

    The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, all you have to do is ask.

    Study found in Adam Grant‘s book, “Give and Take, A Revolutionary Guide to Success.”