When we lead and live with curiosity we open the space for a curious mindset in our teams and business. This leads to us questioning and exploring things as a team, with the by-product of this, being connection and collaboration.
Curiosity is a motivating desire for more information. It’s the engine that drives learning, innovation and achievement.
Dr Daniel Berlyne was a pioneer in curiosity research in the 1960s. He stated that curiosity is innate to our being, not unlike food and water.
He concluded that three key sources instigate it:
- novelty – that which is new or unknown to us
- ambiguity – that which is confusing to us
- complexity – partially known to us and where we seek to know more.
All these sources of curiosity surround us – it’s up to us to raise our emotional intelligence, be aware of these, and decide what to do next.
Five tips to curiosity
1. Open your mind
Opening your mind takes discipline, and the more open you are, the more open you will be to receive new information. Avoid closing yourself off and stretch out of your safe zone. Be open to ask questions and stay present. I ask myself, “What can I learn from this person?” This opens up my mind to receive and not discount the ideas or opinions of others.
2. Ask questions
Asking questions about yourself, others, and situations can help you become a more effective communicator and can strengthen interactions and relationships.
Asking questions with intention is a great way to understand, seek information and explore your curiosity in the process. Creating a forum in your team to question things such as; ways of working, projects, products and services can open the door to new ways of thinking.
Asking open questions is key. One tip to asking open questions is to add, “Tell me about” to the start of your questions – this will turn them into an open question.
When we ask questions, be open to not knowing the answer and don’t judge. Our intention should be to focus on learning and understanding more.
Only ask one question at a time and base your next question on the response you receive.
Get curious about:
- An idea you’ve been putting off.
- Making your product/service stand out.
- What your customers really want.
3. Flip statements into questions
When we think about something, we articulate it in our minds as either a statement or a question. For example, flipping a statement such as “What that other business did was great” to “I wonder how that business achieved that?” will change your energy and provoke questioning and conversations. It changes a one-dimensional thought to a two-dimensional question.
4. Listen and be present
Research says that only two per cent of leaders received any training on how to listen, and most people struggle to listen and not just ‘hear’.
We aren’t wired to listen as human beings. We think at more than 400 words a minute and speak at 150, no wonder our minds wander when we should be listening.
To be truly curious, we need to listen to:
- ourselves and others
- situations
- thoughts, feedback and feelings.
5. Be interested
Reframe ‘boring’ situations and people as ‘interesting’. A reframe can change your energy, attitude and ability to be curious.
When the pressure is on, it can be difficult for us to pause before acting, take a step back and reflect on why we are doing what we are doing.
Take the time to build your curiosity muscle and create the space to make it part of your team and business culture. Curiosity is a superpower and a non-negotiable skill and mindset in the new world of business.
