Social intelligence encompasses the social skills and competencies that humans employ for smooth and enjoyable interpersonal interactions. You can develop social cognition by practicing communication skills. Research in social neuroscience shows that social intelligence is a key skill for professional and personal development and requires qualities such as empathy, effective listening, and a rich understanding of emotions.

To develop social intelligence, one needs to focus on these areas:

Be an active listener - listen to what others are saying and avoid interrupting or speaking over them. Show respect for opinions and warmly respond to people’s ideas or answers.

Empathise with others to practice empathy, care for others’ well-being, and work to understand their emotions and rationale.

Practice your communication skills - communication and conversational skills are a significant part of social intelligence. Strong communication involves the ability to speak confidently and make small talk.

Use appropriate facial expressions - presence and facial expressions also play into social intelligence; nodding when others speak, smiling at jokes, and expressing sadness at bad news are all examples of appropriate facial expressions.