Vital Factor for Effective Communication
What is interpersonal intelligence? How does is serve as a vital factor for communication? To know all about it,
read on…
Intelligence, by definition, is a property of the mind that includes many related abilities like the
capacities to reason, to plan, to solve problems, think abstractly, understand ideas, use language
and learn. Intelligence includes the abilities to comprehend, analyze and react to a situation.
Intelligence is the collection of our abilities to act and react.
Howard Gardner, an American psychologist postulated the theory of multiple intelligences. He
categorized intelligence on the basis of the different faculties of intellect. He observed that a person
shows a flair for linguistic skills while another fails to grasp language; some exhibit excellence in
mathematics and logic while others are proficient in sports. He came up with forms of core
intelligences namely linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic and musical. The
other forms of core intelligences deal with a person's ability to understand the feelings of others and
one's ability to know oneself. They were called interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences
respectively.
What is Interpersonal Intelligence?
We are a part of society; we are social animals. Hence along with our abilities to lead a life as an
individual, it is also important to be able to live and grow as a part of a group. It is important to
enhance our social abilities to thrive in the society. This includes the abilities to interact with others,
understand them and interpret their behavior. Interpersonal intelligence is something we all need to
have but it becomes a vital factor for people in occupations that require interaction with people.
Those who have to deal with people as a part of their profession need to have interpersonal
intelligence. These include medical practitioners, people in sales or marketing fields and teachers.
Interpersonal intelligence relates to the concept of interaction with the people around. It is about the
understanding of their thoughts and feelings and the ability to respond to them. People with an
interpersonal intelligence typically fall in the group of extroverts. They are sensitive to the moods and
sentiments of others. They possess the ability to cooperate with people around them and are seen
as team players. They can work in a group with ease and efficiency and can understand the
temperaments of others in the group.
Interpersonal Intelligence and Effective Communication
An understanding of others that characterizes interpersonal intelligence, is a vital factor for effective
communication. For an effective communication to be possible the parties involved in it should
understand each other’s views. To communicate effectively with another person it is important to
grasp his/her opinions about a subject, put oneself in the person’s shoes to understand the reason
behind his/her views. As these abilities constitute what is known as interpersonal intelligence, this
type of intelligence is a vital factor for effective communication. People who bear an interpersonal
intelligence can easily communicate with others. As they have an understanding of moods and
emotions of other people, they can empathize with them. They learn by working with others and take
interest in discussions. Thus, people with an interpersonal intelligence make very effective
communicators.
Interpersonal communication is defined as one that occurs between two people who are
interdependent on each other and share a common history. Interpersonal skills are the skills needed
to interact in social situations. They include the abilities to effectively convey one's feeling to another
person and understand his or her say on the subject. These skills refer to the communicative abilities
applied during a social communication.
Interpersonal skills facilitate a communication wherein conflicts and debates are reduced,
interactions become easy, people seem approachable, hassles minimize and a healthy and
productive environment is created. Be it in a work sector or at home, be it a formal communication,
be it a chat with friends, the art of communication underlies them all. It is the knack to effectively
communicate, which rules every relationship. A professional relationship is guided by effective
business communication and so is the interaction with family and friends. This makes us realize the
importance of interpersonal intelligence.
Now that we are aware of the importance of interpersonal skills in our lives, let us look at the ways of
improving interpersonal skills. Interpersonal intelligence can be developed if one wishes to acquire it.
It being a vital factor for effective communication, acquiring interpersonal skills becomes necessary.
To improve one’s interpersonal skills, one must learn to be positive and appreciative. Learn to pay
attention to the people around you. Laud them for their successes and try to be their support during
their downfalls. Rather than being a complainer, learn to lighten situations with humor. Practice
empathy, the key to reach out to others. Improve your interpersonal skills to be an effective
communicator and join the camp of the ‘interpersonally intelligent’!
Intrapersonal Intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence is one of the many types of intelligence described in multiple
intelligence theory. People with strong intrapersonal intelligence are often introspective, prefer
working alone, and are very self-aware.
Example
A student with strong intrapersonal intelligence may not like working in groups, or save certain
kinds of work for home.
In the classroom
Teachers interested in developing intrapersonal intelligence often try to encourage their learners'
self-awareness and autonomy. Learner diaries and developing learning skills such as dictionary
use and effective recording of vocabulary are ways to help this.
Intrapersonal Intelligence or "The Individual" has the keen understanding of oneself. It is their
desires, strengths, weaknesses and how to operate on the self-model. They focus inwards on
feelings and dreams. They like working alone and following their instincts as well as pursuing
their own interests and goals. They focus inward and may often be deemed as someone who
marches to the beat of a different drummer. It is whom we are, what we are, and why we are that
way. A strong intrapersonal intelligence can lead to self-esteem, self-enhancement, and a
strength of character that can be used to solve internal problems.
Characteristics include:
Spends time alone meditating, reflecting, or thinking
Attend counseling sessions or personal seminars to learn more about myself
Resilient in setbacks
Prefer to spend time alone rather than in a large group
Am strong-willed and independent
Keep a personal journal to record events of my inner life
Self-employed or thinking of starting my own business
Self-motivated
Being aware of what you love and fear
The intrapersonal intelligence individual may find a career in areas such as a poet, artist,
photographer, or therapist and counselor.
Famous People:
Aristotle, Helen Keller, George Patton, Anne Frank.
Students may enjoy using/doing programs that include tutorials, self-packets or paced programs,
games that the opponent is the computer, that encourages self-awareness or build self-
improvement skills, and anything that allows a student to work independently. These students
need space for solitude and time alone to work on special interest projects such as poetry,
artwork, collection or even thinking.
Keywords include: metacognition, self-reflection, thinking strategies, emotional processing, self
knowledge, mindfulness, focus and concentration, higher-order reasoning, complex guided,
imagery, and centering. This intelligence is activated when a person utilizes self-reflection and
thinking to accomplish something.
Here are some ideas for activating this intelligence:
imagine & create having a dialog with a famous figure, historical or otherwise.
keep a diary/journal about what they learn each day & what it means to them.
keep track of his/her moods and feelings when working in a given area of study.
build a mind map of a given area of study.
brainstorm on how his/her culture influences his/her thinking in a given area of study.
