Curiosity is one of the most powerful tools to help us grow, develop relationships with others, adapt to change, and create innovative solutions. In our daily life, a curious mindset allows us to seek new experiences, knowledge, and adventures and nourishes our creativity. In our professional life, it can help us become more effective leaders and support our teams to be more successful.

While the literature suggests that we are born with some natural level of curiosity, our life experiences and, paradoxically, our education can make us less curious. The good news perspective is that curiosity is a mental muscle that can be trained like any other muscle.

What is curiosity?

Most dictionaries state something like "An eager desire to know or to learn about something." The definition borrowed from Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance goes deeper:

‍Curiosity (from Latin curiosus "careful, diligent, curious," akin to cura "care") is an emotion related to natural inquisitive behavior such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in human and many animal species. The term can also be used to denote the behavior itself being caused by the emotion of curiosity. As this emotion represents a drive to know new things, curiosity is the fuel of science and all other disciplines of human study.  

The definition suggests that curiosity is the root, the underlying power, of all human endeavors. Curiosity is about being inquisitive and learning. It is also about emotions and behavior.

Sounds powerful enough?

The introduction shows that curiosity can help us across many dimensions. This article explores three areas where a curious mindset can improve work performance.

1. Work relationships

"We tend to make up our minds before having all the answers."

We all have certain relationships at our work that are more difficult than others. These relationships might have communication challenges or frequent conflicts. Without clear information, we often assume we know why someone else behaves in a certain way. If the assumption is harmful and the other person perceives us as judgmental, this will immediately reduce trust and tarnish the relationship.

On the other hand, if we have a curious mindset, we will allow ourselves to ask powerful questions about:

-       What are my own biases that may contribute to my judgment?

-       What assumptions do I make?

-       What is the other person's perspective?

-       Do I have the full context of the situation or just a snapshot?

-       What challenges could this person face that influence their interactions with me?"

And even more important than asking ourselves, ask the other person these questions. We can significantly improve our relationship when we make it clear that we care about their priorities and that their voice matters to us.

Takeaway number one: Judgement kills curiosity.

 2. Professional expertise

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."-  John F. Kennedy.

 As we progress in our careers, our expertise grows too. We build our proficiency and develop mastery in certain areas. We often draw on this expertise to make crucial decisions and solve problems. The risk of expertise exists if we see it as a fixed mindset: operating with the belief that once we are experts, we are done growing and learning.

As the world changes ever faster, there are always new things to learn in any area of interest. If we stop learning, our knowledge can quickly become obsolete. Curiosity is a tool that helps us avoid this trap.

Think about the areas where you consider yourself an expert. Ask yourself: What am I regularly reading or listening to on this topic? Do I know what other experts I should seek out? What changes are happening in this space that I could learn more about?

Takeaway number two: Curiosity trumps a fixed mindset

3. Corporate innovation 

Without curiosity, there will never be any innovation – Steve Stoute

A growing body of research supports the idea that individuals, teams, and more curious organizations show more significant levels of innovation. A study by INSEAD professor Spencer Harrison and his colleagues⁽¹⁾ examined how people innovate together. One of their studies involved the impact of curiosity in a call center. Their findings demonstrated that when employees sought information from others and utilized it in their jobs, it boosted their creativity in addressing customer concerns.

A curious mindset can improve innovation in many ways. It encourages us to explore other fields, ask questions and look for patterns. Many times, when we feel we've reached a dead-end, a mindset of curiosity can help us connect new information and synthesize seemingly disparate ideas.

Takeaway number 3: A growth mindset and a curious mindset walk hand-in-hand.

The power of curiosity comes from its ability to help us learn and grow. It stops us from becoming obsolete, supplants our blind spots, and improves our self-awareness. A dangerous mindset for us is one of certainty: a conviction that what we believe is true. Certainty leads us to make incorrect assumptions about others; it causes us to believe that our opinions are facts. In its most potent form, curiosity is an antidote to certainty. As lifelong learners, we have a greater opportunity to build our relationships, become experts in what we do and generate more innovative ideas and solutions.

Finding opportunities to be more curious and seek information can help you succeed in many ways. The next time you feel sure about something, use that feeling as a warning. Ask yourself: Is your certainty causing you to ignore certain clues?

Note

1.    Harrison, S.H, and others: Curiosity adapted the cat: The role of trait curiosity in newcomer adaptation. Journal of Applied Psychology. - Researchgate 2011

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