Social Capital Models

In the research done in the area of social capital (relationships) it is clear that connections with other people do good things for us.  Relationships are associated with better health, more happiness, advancement, achievement, better self confidence and even life expectancy.  With all these good outcomes, the natural question is how might you and I develop and enhance more relationships in our lives.

Although there are no exact formulas, we know that there are a couple variables that do matter.  One is finding similarities in interests and then discovering settings where people gather on a regular basis around these similar interests.  In this example, just regularity of exchange can be a critical factor.  Another important variable is the communication patterns people use to enhance the initial connection.

One other thought in this process is to observe other successful people.  We all know folks in our circles who seem to always be popular.  In discovering socially successful folks we might want to observe these "social capital models" and look for things that they do that seem to make them popular.  Notice how these people carry themselves, how they communicate, how they relate to others.

They say that social mimicry is the greatest form of flattery.  By emulating these social successful people not only might you enhance your social skills, but you will also be flattering some important people in your circles.