Brain Waves Blog

Social intelligence tells us that prospective students seek peer guidance on social media and Reddit about if and where to go to college nearly 10x more than they did 10 years ago. The authentic and unfiltered insights from social intelligence give you a deeper understanding of the voices in your community and enable you to design and assess programs with learners at the center.

A strong brand is a strategic advantage. In good times it helps you grow faster, and during times of uncertainty and change it’s a powerful anchor. A strong brand means you have increased audience confidence, greater credibility among public and private stakeholders, and a foundation to make challenging and innovative decisions. Your brand isn't just about visibility—it’s about credibility and building trust over time.

Leadership transition is a time when your campus needs to balance continuity and change management. If you’re supporting a leader or are an incoming leader, social intelligence allows you to quickly communicate historical perceptions and stakeholder engagement, as well as gather and share real-time internal and external feedback during the transition. Leaders at every level of an organization make strategic decisions and social intelligence supports your understanding and informs priorities.

What movements are gaining momentum within higher education, and why? 

Educators have discussed social intelligence for over 100 years. So why am I still asked to introduce the topic to leaders so often? Perhaps because language has evolved in ways that make it hard for us to recognize the innovative application of a century-old concept that now means more than one thing. I bet you’re just as nerdy as me; let’s break it down.

Social intelligence is more than just capturing online data. It's a framework to measure and analyze data that human experts turn into insights you use to inform your strategy and take action. The framework gives you knowledge to make more data-driven decisions moving forward.