Emotional intelligence vs STEM: which one is essential to innovation?

it’s important to step back and look at whether our children, the innovators of the future, are gaining social and emotional skills — like sensitivity, empathy, social mindfulness, teamwork and an ability to imagine very different life experiences — in elementary and middle school. These are the interpersonal essentials for innovation, the precursors and prerequisites for harnessing outside-the-box thinking on behalf of others, and they’re just as important as math, science and technology training.

Think about some of the specific non-cognitive skills and attributes that lead to successful innovations — an insightful understanding of the end-user; collaborative connections with colleagues on an integrated design; and a true openness to the surrounding world. In the end, as I’ve learned through the Committee for Children, which is helping youngsters develop vital social and emotional skills, awareness counts as much as algorithms.

If I had to pick one skill that’s fundamental for innovators, however, it would be empathy, because of the way it allows us to see things from another person’s perspective. In other words, “How can I, as an innovator, help fill gaps and needs in people’s lives?”

There are other school-based skills that contribute to innovation. Thom Markham, a psychologist and school redesign consultant, feels that concepts need to be taught versus facts; creative and thinking tools ought to be employed; discovery must be rewarded; reflection should be encouraged; and teachers, themselves, have to establish and model an innovation ethos in the classroom.

One school of thought, for instance, says that to innovate effectively and generate a dynamic flow of valuable ideas, people need structure and methodologies, rather than conventional brainstorming sessions.

disruptive innovators generally possess five key skills, according to Gregersen and his colleagues, Jeff Dyer and Clayton Christensen:

• Questioning: challenge the status quo and consider new possibilities
• Observing: detect small details that suggest new ways of doing things
• Networking: gain radically different perspectives from diverse backgrounds
• Experimenting: relentlessly try out new experiences, take things apart and test new ideas
• Associational thinking: draw connections from questions, problems or ideas from unrelated fields.

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