Practicing Curiosity in the Workplace

“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” - anonymous

Curiosity stands out as one of the qualities I truly admire. To me, genuinely curious individuals are those who seek understanding through thoughtful questioning.

The mark of a curious person is their unwavering determination to work until they unravel the puzzle before them. This brings to mind my grand-nephew and his Harry Potter Lego Set – a project he approached with an unstoppable resolve to piece it together.

There's a certain hopefulness in the pursuit of knowledge that makes me eager to assist those who are curious in finding answers to their questions.

Reflecting on my time as a reporter for Channel 31 and The Auburn Journal, I recall the intrigue of the stories assigned to me and the diverse people I encountered while seeking the truth. In journalism, the quest involves answering the 5 W’s in every story: Who, Why, What, When, Where (and how). During my investigations, the narrative would often branch into various directions, requiring me to refocus and anchor myself in the core of the story. Despite my editor's reminders to stay focused on the immediate story, I found myself building potential leads for future stories. One such instance involved a Gulf War veteran who, after reading my article about a local jeweler selling military ID bracelets, sensed something was amiss. Although my editor hesitated, my persistence led to a revealing follow-up story exposing the jeweler's fraudulent actions. Tenacity coupled with curiosity can yield remarkable outcomes.

Bringing a curiosity mindset into the workplace necessitates embracing "what if" scenarios and being open to exploring possibilities. Cultivating a culture of curiosity involves:

• Considering all potential solutions in design sessions, regardless of how unconventional they may seem.
• Sharing diverse learnings in team meetings, even if they deviate from our usual sources of knowledge.
• Collaborating with product owners to conduct Voice of the Customer (VoC) sessions for insights that can enhance our products/services.

Now, the challenge for the upcoming weeks: Spend some time contemplating the "what if" I began this Thursday Thought with: "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" I'll be doing the same.

I am genuinely eager to hear your responses. Feel free to share them in the comments below, or you can send them to me via email or IM. Let's embrace curiosity together!

Happy Thursday all,

-srt