Social Intelligence: Viewing all Interactions as Orientation to Service

Service orientation means being able to anticipate, recognize, meet other’s needs.

It’s leadership at its very essence, which translates into being able to understanding other people’s needs, being of service and empowering others. 

On the contrary, people who lack this social competence usually focus on their own agenda and objectives, rather than other’s needs. 

In general, customer service is essential to business but in social and emotional intelligence this ability applies more broadly and every social interaction is viewed as orientation to service. To put it in marketing terms: everyone is a customer. 

You already know the crucial importance of truly listening, understanding and respecting people. Empathy is vital to social intelligence and in every relationship people remember their interactions with us and this depends on how we make people feel. Their experience with us will depend on the quality of the interaction, which drives the perception of satisfaction. 

Obviously, negative behaviors such as speaking poorly of others, refusing to take a stand on behalf or another person, failing to provide extra help or even any help at all or buck passing are all very counterproductive ways of doing things. 

It’s not about providing routine or off the shelf solutions and ideas or just do as little as possible. It’s about looking for opportunities to be helpful, to be of service to others and to be able to do this one needs to plan ahead to meet people needs if possible, ask questions to understand others’ needs and make oneself available. 

This is easier if you find yourself in a culture of service, otherwise create one by modeling the behavior, offering appropriate assistance and doing more than expected (under promise and over-deliver). 

It's a choice. You consciously choose to be of service by making yourself available, being present (with your full attention) and helpful (even if there is no immediate reward). Be positive, have a yes attitude and be reliable (keep your word!).

In order to delight by giving more than expected, few tips that you can apply to your daily life: monitor and seek ways to increase other people’s satisfaction, grasp people’s perspective in order to offer appropriate assistance (respond and act appropriately), be always kind and cheerful and make others feel important, appreciated, respected, listened to. Make sure you follow up on the various situations to ensure satisfaction.

“The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one’s capacity to lead is severely limited.” —Robert Greenleaf

Social and emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of our own emotions and those of others, in the moment, and to use that information to manage ourselves and manage our relationships. —The Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence