Just last week I had a conversation regarding procedures for a business office. When asked why a business didn’t write phone call information down, he said the conversations were relayed to the necessary person when they saw them. “Didn’t information get lost, forgotten, or mixed up?” I asked. I suggested a phone log with name, phone number and main point to keep track of questions and orders. It just never occurred to them.
Have you wondered why you or your business do things a certain way? Are you asking questions when you don’t understand something, or even when you do?
Do you have a thirst for learning? The state of active interest and wanting to know more, whether it’s something you already know or something you want to know more about; is what curiosity is all about.
Curiosity is one of the most valuable tools a leader has. It’s being open-minded to new ideas, learning new things, and being inquisitive.
With curiosity comes new ways to do, see, and think about things. Think about life without electricity, the internet, space travel, or pretty much anything we have and use today. This is curiosity at work! As we explore new and different things, as well as deeply explore what we already know, we learn and grow. Curiosity is the starting point to great ideas, inventions, and new business ventures.
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” ― Walt Disney
As a curious leader, ask the hard questions that start with how, what, when, where, and why. Learning how and why something works is more important than appearing smarter than everyone else.
People you work with also have unique views and ways of looking at things. Encourage them to ask questions.
- Why do we do things this way?
- What would happen if we tried that?
- Can we become more effective and efficient?
- How can we better serve our customers?
- Why not try this just to see what happens?
Related: Why Having A Dream Is Not Enough
When leaders are curious, they see things differently, they use their powers of observation more fully, and they listen to others wholeheartedly to better understand world views that are different from their own. It’s their key to success.
A leader is always thinking about new ways of doing things that keeps them ahead of competitors and aware of changes in their industry. Without a healthy dose of curiosity, we wouldn’t be in business long.
- Take time each week to keep up with similar industries.
- Talk with customers.
- Read about new ideas in your industry.
- Look for and spot trends.
- Anticipate problems.
- Question why a business failed.
- How do we adapt to the changing market?
How are you curious each day? Do you follow the path someone else has blazed or forge your own path? Do you embrace new ideas from your team? Are you in agreement that curiosity helps a business grow?
Please share with us how you encourage your own curiosity and the curiosity of others.
Hi, I’m Karen. Welcome to my website! I will show you how to establish the framework for an organized and successful leadership and office management system.
