In today's dynamic work environment, developing social competence is key to cultivating a thriving company culture where employees feel engaged, valued, and motivated. This article will walk you through the process of developing social competence in your company, based on a blend of personal experience, academic insights, and practical tools from the masterclass "How to Develop Social Competence in Your Company". About the masterclass: In this masterclass, we explore how developing social competence in the leadership force can create workplaces where employees feel meaningfully engaged and, therefore, more productive. We begin with an introduction to Antonovsky's SOC model, a theory highlighting three central aspects for creating a strong sense of coherence in life and work: - Comprehensibility: Understanding the situation one is in. - Manageability: Believing in one's ability to influence and handle the situation. - Meaningfulness: Feeling that what one does has significance and purpose. During this session, we will uncover innovative and practical methods to apply the three core elements of SOC, leading to a vibrant and flourishing company culture. We will discuss why social competence is crucial for success in the workplace and how improving this competence can enhance both team and organizational performance. The goal of this masterclass is to equip you with practical tools and insights from behavioral science and the SOC framework that you can use to strengthen your workplace.
My Background
I was born and raised on Aland Island, a Nordic island with a rich maritime culture. Early in my career, I witnessed firsthand how a company’s culture can drastically shift when leadership changes. As a teenager, I saw a workplace that transformed from a high team spirit to a chaotic and stressful environment after new leadership took over. It was clear that the tone at the top had a powerful effect on the entire workforce, and I became fascinated with understanding how a few people could influence the experience of so many others.
This curiosity led me to study behavioral science and start my own company at the age of 20, where I managed a horse farm. This was not only a business but a lesson in emotional and social competence—horses, as sensitive animals, taught me that authentic communication and leadership come from within. I realized that leading others, whether people or animals, requires self-awareness, empathy, and a deep understanding of your own values.
Fast forward a few years, with a Master's in psychology and business economics under my belt, I began working in loss prevention for a marine insurance company. Once again, I saw how leadership styles directly impacted company culture and performance. Those with a strong growth mindset and a focus on developing their teams consistently outperformed their peers.
But something was missing. While there were strategic frameworks for building culture at the top, I found that the practical, day-to-day leadership tools were lacking. I started searching for solutions and found Lars-Eric Unestål, a psychologist and pioneer of mental training. His work had a profound impact on me, and after going through his coaching program, I began using these tools to coach leaders in my free time.
That led me to launch The Island Coach and develop a comprehensive 12-week program called the Social Smart Leadership Program, which integrates academic principles with coaching methods to build leaders who are not only strategically savvy but also socially competent.
Social Competence as a Compass
I like to describe social competence as a compass that guides leaders in creating an engaging culture where employees feel seen and heard. This compass has five key areas:
Self-awareness: Understanding your own emotions and their effects on your thoughts and behavior.
Self-regulation: Managing emotions constructively and adapting to changing circumstances.
Communication: Effectively conveying ideas and listening actively to foster trust and collaboration.
Emotional Intelligence: Empathizing with others and understanding their emotions to build strong relationships.
Social Skills: Resolving conflicts, leading teams, and maintaining positive relationships.
These areas are essential to becoming a leader who can build trust, inspire teams, and foster a culture that thrives. But what is the tangible value of developing social competence in leadership?
The Value of Social Competence
Research in this field, particularly by Daniel Goleman and others, shows that the impact of social competence is undeniable. Let’s look at some of the key outcomes:
Employee Satisfaction and Loyalty (50%): Leaders with high social competence drive higher employee satisfaction and reduce turnover, as noted in Harvard Business Review studies.
Improved Communication and Collaboration (40%): Research from the Journal of Applied Psychology highlights that effective communication increases collaboration, aligning teams towards common goals.
Increased Engagement (70%): Gallup's research shows socially competent leaders can increase employee engagement by up to 70%, resulting in better retention and performance.
Improved Financial Results (25%): McKinsey & Company found that companies led by socially competent leaders see up to a 25% improvement in financial results.
Overall Performance Boost (90%): The Corporate Leadership Council found that organizations with socially competent leaders are 90% more likely to outperform their competitors.
Clearly, developing social competence can have a transformative effect on a company, influencing everything from employee well-being to financial performance.
How You Can Build a Thriving Culture with Social Competence: Applying Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC) Framework
One useful approach to developing social competence in organizations is Aaron Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC) framework. This model helps explain why some people, and by extension organizations, thrive even under stress. It consists of three key elements that can be applied to organizational culture:
Comprehensibility: Employees need to understand their environment and how their work fits into the larger organizational goals. This reduces anxiety and confusion, allowing people to focus and excel.
Manageability: Employees should feel they have the resources and support needed to meet their challenges. Leaders play a key role in ensuring their teams are equipped to succeed.
Meaningfulness: When employees find meaning in their work, they are more motivated and engaged. Socially competent leaders help their teams connect their roles to the organization’s broader mission.
Meaningfulness in Practice
Socially smart leaders foster meaningfulness by ensuring that employees feel connected to a larger purpose, supported in their growth, and recognized for their contributions. This approach not only enhances job satisfaction but also drives higher levels of engagement, productivity, and overall organizational success.
The key here is the leadership in your organization.
So, how do you develop leaders capable of building this sense of meaning and driving social competence?
That’s where the Social Smart Leadership Program comes into play.
Introducing the Social Smart Leadership
The Social Smart Leadership is designed to address the real-life challenges leaders face in cultivating a culture that’s rich in emotional intelligence and social competence. It’s built on three key pillars:
Personal Beliefs and Values: We start by exploring the leader’s core values and identifying any limiting beliefs that may be holding them back. This individual approach ensures deep, lasting changes in behavior.
Goal Setting: The goals are crafted at the intersection of the leader’s values and the team’s needs. They are realistic, measurable, and directly aligned with improving team performance and culture.
Behavior Implementation: Once the pathway to the goal is clear, we work on implementing new behaviors that support that goal. This can include conflict resolution, communication strategies, and techniques to build confidence and delegation within the team.
The program is grounded in practical tools and self-assessments to track progress. Leaders often find this process to be an eye-opening experience as they begin to see the tangible impact they can have on their teams.
Developing social competence in your leadership is the most effective way to cultivate a thriving company culture, improve employee engagement, and drive overall organizational success.
Do you want to learn more about how to develop social competence in your company?
Sign up now to get access to the masterclass "How to Develop Social Competence in Your Company" and start transforming your organizational culture today.