[00:07]Do Not Like You, Then Help You Fail
[00:13]Most people who fail for lack of social skills talk of ¡°office politics¡± doing them in,
[00:23]but the politics may be nothing more than normal interactions among people.
[00:31]If you have trouble with ¡°office politics,¡±
[00:36]you may really be having trouble dealing with people.
[00:43]You may get along on brilliance alone for a while,
[00:49]but most careers involve other people.
[00:55]You can have great academic intelligence and still lack social intelligence¡ª
[01:04]the ability to be a good listener,
[01:08]to be sensitive toward others, to give and take criticism well.
[01:16]People with high social intelligence admit their mistakes,
[01:23]take their share of blame and move on.
[01:28]They know how to build team support.
[01:34]If people don¡¯t like you, they may help you fail.
[01:40]One day at an airport, a traveler observed a well-dressed businessman
[01:48]yelling at a porter about the porter¡¯s handling of his luggage.
[01:56]The more abusive the businessman became, the calmer the porter seemed.
[02:04]After the businessman left, the traveler complimented the porter on his restraint.
[02:13]¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing,¡± he said, smiling.
[02:18]¡°You know, that man¡¯s going to Miami, but his bags¡ªthey¡¯re going to Kalamazoo.¡±
[02:27]Coworkers¡ªeven subordinates¡ªif poorly treated, can do you in.
[02:36]On the other hand, you can get away with serious mistakes if you are socially intelligent.
[02:46]This is why many mediocre executives survive violent corporate upheavals.
[02:57]Sensitive in their dealings with others, they are well liked;
[03:03]when they make mistakes, their supporters usually help them recover.
[03:10]A mistake may actually further their careers
[03:16]if the boss thinks they handled the situation in a mature and responsible way.
[03:25]People with poor interpersonal skills have trouble taking criticism.
[03:34]When confronted with a mistake, they let their ego and emotions get in the way.
[03:42]They may deny responsibility and became moody, volatile or angry.
[03:51]They mark themselves as ¡°prickly¡± and ¡°temperamental¡±.
[03:57]Social intelligence is an acquired skill.
[04:02]The more you practice, the better you get.
[04:07]Like good manners, it can be learned.