Those who know me well, know that I am fascinated by words. Thus, I have decided to refocus my blog on words that impact the workplace. Let’s start with one of my favorite words – Curiosity.
Curiosity
- A desire to gratify the senses with a sight of what is new or unusual.
- Gratifying the mind with new discoveries.
- A desire to learn about new things; inquisitiveness.
- Anything novel, extraordinary, rare, or strange.
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
– Walt Disney
In a work environment, if you are curious, if you are inquisitive, you will more than likely be successful as a professional and as a leader. Being curious about people, processes, better ways, how others are doing what you are doing, etc. will bode you well.
I worked for a surgeon at one point in my career. Every day, he was trying to discover new ways to make what he was doing less invasive, more comfortable for the patient, more effective, and requiring less healing time. He was the guy you wanted on your side if you had to have the type of surgery in which he specialized.
When I am in a customer service retail setting where I am the customer, I am observing the many ways the company could improve service. Is the company as curious as I am about why one line is moving and the other is not, why one customer is smiling and another is not, why customers are having to walk around obstructions in the aisles or check out areas, etc. Are they observing anything? Are they curious about what is happening right in front of their eyes?
Encourage your team members to be curious.
- Bring employees together in one place at one time to hear the same message about curiosity. Ask them to look at what they are doing individually and as a team with new eyes.
- Tap an individual employee and ask his/her viewpoint about a specific process. The newest employee will have the freshest outlook. The longest-term employee may be able to tell you what is most frustrating to him/her.
- Send reminders to employees that you want their input, fresh ideas, and suggestions.
Curiosity spurs new discoveries and employee engagement. I am still curious; I am still learning and hope you are.
BRH
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