Curiosity
Why is curiosity a good trait to foster?
When we are curious about people, experiences and things then we will make ourselves ask more questions and find out more about a subject or topic.
Curiosity is an essential aspect in developing a Growth Mindset. When we identify a gap in our knowledge we can take steps to close that gap.
Curiosity allows us to explore and learn more about the world around us. When I hear something that I don’t understand I will do some basic research. That sometimes will lead me down a rabbit hole. But it is interesting to find things out.
How can curiosity help us to be better at our jobs?
If someone says something and I don’t know who or what they are talking about I will ask questions and if necessary make a note to myself to follow-up further. When I have time I will follow-up on those areas. This helps me to expand my knowledge and if it’s something I find interesting then I will spend more time and dig deeper into the subject. Once I have some knowledge I will then speak with colleagues and test my understanding of the topic with them. This helps me to articulate and challenge my depth of comprehension of the subject.
When curiosity in the workplace is supported and encourage the business advantages are:
Quality decision making
Innovation
Reduced team conflict
Improved communication
Better team performance
When people and teams are open to research, listening and learning from others and challenging their own bias and perceptions then they can perform better.
How can we develop our natural curiosity?
Keep an open mind
Don't take things as granted - check your bias
Ask questions relentlessly
Don't label something as boring
See learning as something fun
Read diverse kinds of reading
To encourage curiosity we need to listen carefully to what people are saying. Then we need to use questioning to understand more about the person and situation. If you are unsure of something then ask more questions about it. If it’s not relevant to the impact to the discussion then make a note for yourself to follow it up later.
However, if it's important to information then ask questions until you fully understand what are the gaps in your understanding.
You don’t need to know everything about everything. Find out more about what you are genuinely interested in. For example I am interested in coaching and I would like to have more information about it. I am prepared to invest my time and energy in learning more about it so that I can deepen my own understanding of that subject. I join events and discussions where I can learn from others and gain new perspectives on the subject.
When we are curious about people, places, things we are interested in learning more about it. When we follow our curiosity we open ourselves to growth.
What are you curious about?
