Each intelligence has a core set of capacities which are involved in its actual functioning. These are almost like “sub-intelligences”. If you are wanting to improve, enhance, or otherwise strengthen an intelligence, you must work at the level of developing the full range of its capacities.

Study these capacities and think about how you use them in your life and you’ll gain a fuller sense and understanding of your own PeopleSmart.

The first task for more fully understanding and enhancing your PeopleSmart capacities is learning to speak the unique language of this intelligence; that is, learning to decipher its special jargon, to understand its vernacular, and being willing to immerse yourself in its various operating modalities.

The language and operating modality of PeopleSmart is the language of human relating, collaboration, being a good teammate, cooperation, noticing distinctions among other persons, common goals, consensus, empathy, and meaningful encounters with others.

Once you understand the different dimensions and aspects of PeopleSmart it is important that you focus on using them on a fairly regular basis. As with any capacity we have developed in our life, regular, consistent practice makes perfect.

Following is a description of each capacity and a place for you to type your reflections on how each of the capacities tend to show up in your daily life, AND what you can do to exercise it or use is more.

(Just type your thoughts in the boxes provided. At the bottom is a "print button" so you can save your work.)

EFFECTIVE VERBAL/NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

The capacity of effective verbal/nonverbal communication with others goes way beyond the simple meanings of the words we
use. Think about times when someone’s “body language” or the
tone and rhythm of their voice was “out of synch” with what they were saying.

DISCERNING OTHERS' MOODS, TEMPERAMENTS, MOTIVATIONS, AND FEELINGS

When talking with another person, can you tell when they are upset? Can you tell when they are feeling discomfort or when they are excited? Can you sense when they are bored, preoccupied with something else or when they have a “hidden agenda”? The capacity to accurately “read” others moods, temperaments, motivations, and feelings is a key to effective and meaningful interpersonal encounters.

WORKING COOPERATIVELY IN A GROUP

Recall times when you were part of a team when the success of the team required that each member had to do his/her part, or the team effort would have failed. The capacity of working cooperatively in a group deals with learning how to do your part, and allowing others to do theirs, for the sake of the group goal.

LISTENING TO ANOTHERS' PERSPECTIVE

In everyday communication we often miss what another person is saying because our own internal “mind chatter” gets in the way. Listening to another’s perspective is the capacity to deeply and fully listen to another, while temporarily shutting off our inner mental commentary, and without planning our comments or rebuttal, or thinking about a witty response to what they are saying.

"PASSING OVER" INTO THE LIFE OF ANOTHER

“Passing over” into the life of another is the capacity to empathize with someone else’s perspective, feelings, values, and beliefs, especially when they are somewhat foreign to our own. This capacity does not necessarily mean agreeing with the other’s perspective. But it does mean understanding and appreciating the other and their perspective.

SYNERGY

Can you recall times when you were part of a group effort and the final product was greater than the mere sum of the individual contributions of the various members of the group? This is called “synergy” (from the Greek syn ergos) which means a “spontaneous working together.” The capacity to both create and
maintain “synergy” in a group is one of the capacities of interpersonal intelligence.