Concept
Warmth and Competence
Warmth and competence are the two dimensions on which people judge others, according to the stereotype content model of Susan Fiske, Amy Cuddy and Peter Glick: whether someone means well toward us and whether they can act on it, with warmth usually judged first.
When we meet someone, research on social judgement suggests we quickly ask two questions: is this person friend or foe, and are they capable of acting on their intentions? The first is warmth, the second competence. Fiske, Cuddy and Glick, who developed the stereotype content model, found that these two dimensions account for much of how people and groups are perceived, and that warmth tends to be judged first and to weigh heavily, because knowing someone's intentions matters more for safety than knowing their skill. Vanessa Van Edwards brings the research into everyday advice in Captivate, and Cuddy returns to it in Presence. The practical consequence is counterintuitive for many professionals: leading with credentials can make you seem cold, and coldness makes the credentials less persuasive. Show warmth early, through attention, a real smile and interest in the other person, and let competence arrive through what you say and do. The aim is both, in that order, not one at the expense of the other.
A real-life example
Gökhan, a cardiologist in Istanbul, opens every consultation by listing tests and figures, and patients often seek a second opinion. He starts the first minute differently: he asks the patient how they have been sleeping and listens before turning to the results. His explanations are as precise as before, but patients now follow his advice.
How to use it
- 1Before your next meeting, plan one sign of warmth for the first minute and leave credentials for later.
- 2Ask yourself after a meeting: would they say I meant well, and would they say I knew what I was doing?
- 3If one side was missing, plan the behaviour that would show it next time.