Social Intelligence Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Managers and Supervisors, Project and Programme Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-IS-039

Before you join: Participants should have professional experience working with colleagues, customers, suppliers, partners or internal stakeholders.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Professional results often depend on what happens between formal processes: whether a manager notices hesitation before resistance hardens, whether a project lead reads competing interests accurately, or whether a specialist can challenge a decision without damaging trust. Social intelligence is the disciplined use of self-awareness, observation, listening and behavioural choice to build productive working relationships. Poor social judgement can produce avoidable conflict, weak stakeholder support, misunderstood feedback and meetings where important concerns remain unspoken.

This course develops the practical behaviours behind strong interpersonal judgement. Participants examine emotional triggers, attribution bias, active listening, nonverbal signals, rapport, trust, assertive communication and conflict responses. They use the Johari Window, Ladder of Inference, Nonviolent Communication, the DESC feedback script, SCARF and Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes to prepare for high-stakes conversations. The course also addresses ethical influence, cross-cultural communication, stakeholder relationships and group dynamics in meetings and virtual settings.

Delivered over five instructor-led days, the course combines short technical briefings with realistic cases, group work, role-based simulations and structured reflection. Participants receive feedback on observable behaviours rather than personality labels. Each participant leaves with a social intelligence development plan, stakeholder relationship inventory, trigger-response plan, conversation preparation canvas and feedback tools ready for immediate workplace use. Delivery is available in classroom settings in 50+ cities or live online, with approximately 32.5 contact hours and a certificate of completion.

The course suits professionals whose work depends on cooperation across functions, seniority levels, cultures or organisational boundaries. It is particularly valuable for managers, project leaders, client-facing professionals and technical specialists moving into broader influencing roles.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose interpersonal patterns using behavioural observation, attribution checks and stakeholder feedback
  • Interpret verbal, vocal and nonverbal signals without making unsupported assumptions
  • Apply active listening and question-funnelling techniques during difficult workplace conversations
  • Conduct feedback and boundary-setting conversations using SBI, DESC and Nonviolent Communication
  • Adapt communication style to stakeholder preferences, status dynamics and cultural context
  • Manage conflict using Thomas-Kilmann modes, interest-based negotiation and de-escalation methods
  • Facilitate constructive participation in meetings with hierarchy, disagreement and competing interests
  • Produce a 30-day social intelligence application plan with measurable behavioural goals

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence entering difficult conversations with senior colleagues or clients
  • Clearer recognition of personal triggers before they affect judgement or tone
  • Practical language for feedback, boundaries, disagreement and relationship repair
  • More accurate reading of stakeholder interests, concerns and communication preferences
  • A structured development plan supported by observable behavioural measures

For your organisation

  • Earlier resolution of interpersonal tensions before they disrupt delivery or retention
  • Higher-quality feedback conversations between managers, employees and project teams
  • Stronger stakeholder relationships through better listening, credibility and follow-through
  • More constructive challenge in meetings, reducing groupthink and untested assumptions
  • Improved cross-functional coordination through clearer expectations and communication norms

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can identify the behaviours, assumptions and emotional triggers shaping their interpersonal impact.

  • Social intelligence defined through situational awareness, relationship management and behavioural adaptability
  • Emotional intelligence domains: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management
  • Johari Window feedback patterns and their effect on interpersonal trust
  • Personal triggers identified through emotion, body-cue and behaviour mapping
  • Attribution errors: fundamental attribution error, confirmation bias and stereotyping
  • Social intelligence baseline using observable behaviours, impact and stakeholder feedback

Participants can listen for facts, feelings, interests and assumptions while testing their interpretations.

  • Active listening behaviours: attending, paraphrasing, summarising, reflecting feelings and clarifying
  • Separate observations from interpretations using the Ladder of Inference
  • Question funnels combine open, probing, closed and reflective questions purposefully
  • Micro-signals in tone, pace, silence and turn-taking interpreted cautiously
  • Perspective-taking distinguishes stated positions, underlying interests and contextual constraints
  • Listening barriers diagnosed: rehearsal, filtering, mind-reading and premature solutioning

Participants can interpret communication cues carefully and adjust their presence across cultural and virtual settings.

  • Congruence between verbal message, vocal delivery and nonverbal behaviour assessed
  • Facial expressions, posture, gesture and proximity read without overclaiming intent
  • Baseline behaviour established before interpreting behavioural change or discomfort
  • Power distance, directness and context considered in cross-cultural interactions
  • Status signals and meeting dynamics mapped before choosing an intervention
  • Video-call presence managed through camera position, pauses and visible attention

Participants can establish rapport and strengthen trust through credible, respectful and reliable interactions.

  • Rapport built through attunement, appropriate self-disclosure and reliable follow-through
  • Trust Equation factors: credibility, reliability, intimacy and self-orientation
  • Similarity and mirroring used ethically without imitation or manipulation
  • Psychological safety supported through curiosity, acknowledgement and respectful challenge
  • First meetings structured around shared purpose, roles and working preferences
  • Stakeholder trust repaired with acknowledgement, accountability and specific commitments

Participants can express concerns, feedback and boundaries directly while preserving working relationships.

  • Nonviolent Communication separates observations, feelings, needs and actionable requests
  • DESC script structures direct feedback about behaviour, impact and next steps
  • SBI model distinguishes situation, behaviour and observable impact during feedback
  • Assertive boundaries stated using clear requests, options and consequences
  • Face-saving language protects dignity while addressing difficult performance issues
  • Conversation openings chosen for urgency, sensitivity and relationship history

Participants can tailor messages and responses to different preferences, power dynamics and social needs.

  • DISC-style preferences treated as hypotheses rather than fixed personality labels
  • Communication style adapted across analytical, expressive, driver and amiable preferences
  • SCARF domains identify social threats and rewards affecting collaboration
  • Transactional Analysis ego states recognised in recurring workplace exchanges
  • Adult-to-Adult responses redirect parent-child patterns without escalating tension
  • Message framing adjusted for authority, expertise, risk tolerance and time pressure

Participants can choose appropriate conflict responses and restore productive dialogue after tension.

  • Conflict sources separated into task, process, relationship and values disputes
  • Thomas-Kilmann modes selected according to stakes, time and relationship needs
  • Interest-based negotiation uncovers needs behind stated positions and demands
  • De-escalation uses pace reduction, acknowledgement and neutral language
  • Trigger statements reframed into specific, discussable observations and requests
  • Repair conversations address intent, impact, accountability and future agreements

Participants can influence decisions ethically by connecting proposals to stakeholder interests and concerns.

  • Stakeholder maps assess influence, interest, credibility and preferred communication channels
  • Reciprocity, consistency, social proof, authority and liking applied ethically
  • Persuasion messages combine audience interests, evidence, options and clear asks
  • Coalition conversations identify allies, blockers and undecided stakeholders
  • Informal networks analysed through advice, trust and information-flow relationships
  • Ethical influence distinguishes informed agreement from pressure or manipulation

Participants can improve participation, challenge and decision quality in group settings.

  • Meeting participation calibrated to airtime, hierarchy and decision-making norms
  • Groupthink warning signs surfaced through dissent, alternatives and independent review
  • Facilitation interventions invite quieter voices and manage dominant contributors
  • Disagreement framed around data, assumptions, risks and decision criteria
  • Remote collaboration norms clarify response times, channels and escalation routes
  • Cross-functional handoffs strengthened through expectation-setting and closed-loop communication

Participants can convert course methods into a focused plan for sustained interpersonal behaviour change.

  • Stakeholder relationship inventory prioritises critical interactions, risks and development needs
  • Behavioural goals written using situations, observable actions and impact measures
  • Feedforward requests target future behaviour rather than past criticism
  • Personal trigger plan links early cues to chosen response strategies
  • Conversation preparation canvas aligns purpose, interests, messages and contingencies
  • Thirty-day application plan schedules practice, feedback and progress review

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Social intelligence behavioural self-assessment
  2. Stakeholder relationship inventory template
  3. Difficult conversation preparation canvas
  4. SBI and DESC feedback script pack
  5. Personal trigger-response plan
  6. Thirty-day social intelligence application plan

Who should attend

  • Managers and Supervisors — build trust, address performance issues and lead difficult conversations
  • Project and Programme Managers — secure cooperation across competing priorities and stakeholder interests
  • Client Relationship Managers — read client cues and strengthen credibility during sensitive interactions
  • Technical Specialists — communicate expertise clearly with non-specialist and senior stakeholders
  • HR and People Partners — conduct fair, constructive and psychologically safe employee conversations
  • Emerging Leaders — develop the interpersonal judgement required for wider leadership responsibility

Skills and tools covered

Active listeningInterpersonal perceptionTrust buildingConflict managementEthical influenceFeedback conversations

Tools and standards

Johari Window, Ladder of Inference, Nonviolent Communication, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

How the course runs

Training methodology

The instructor uses short briefings to introduce behavioural models, followed by case analysis, paired practice, group exercises and simulations of feedback, conflict, stakeholder and meeting situations. Participants observe communication choices, test alternative responses and receive structured peer and instructor feedback against clear criteria. Cases can be adapted for public sector, financial services, corporate, NGO or technical work contexts. Individual reflection and application planning connect the methods to current relationships and upcoming conversations.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have professional experience working with colleagues, customers, suppliers, partners or internal stakeholders. They should be willing to reflect on their own communication habits and discuss realistic workplace situations without disclosing confidential information. Experience of meetings, feedback conversations or cross-functional work will help participants apply the material quickly. No psychology qualification, personality assessment certification, management title or prior formal training in emotional intelligence is required. The course does not require technical tools beyond standard materials for classroom or online participation.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need workplace experience involving colleagues, clients, partners or other stakeholders. No psychology background, management qualification or prior emotional intelligence course is required.

Bring two or three current workplace relationships or upcoming conversations that would benefit from better preparation. Do not bring confidential documents or identify individuals unnecessarily; anonymised situations are sufficient.

The course is designed for professionals who need cooperation, trust or influence to deliver results. It is especially relevant for managers, project leaders, relationship managers, HR professionals and technical specialists.

Emotional intelligence courses often focus mainly on recognising and managing emotions, while communication courses may focus on message structure and presentation. This course connects self-awareness with social perception, relationship management, conflict choices, stakeholder influence and group dynamics.

Participants prepare for real feedback discussions, stakeholder meetings, conflicts and cross-functional handoffs using reusable templates. The final application plan identifies priority relationships, observable behaviours and feedback sources for the next 30 days.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours, totalling approximately 32.5 contact hours. Time is divided between instructor briefings, cases, group exercises, simulations, feedback and individual application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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