Curiosity

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Curiosity compels us to try, learn, invent and reach for the stars. It is the burning desire to answer that stubborn question at the back of our mind…What if? What if I could be something more than I am now? What if that idea could work? What if, together, we could change the world? What if a man were to walk on the moon? What if I sing ‘I’m singing in the rain’ when it is not actually raining? What would happen? Seriously - these are the big questions! 

We all know how curiosity feels, it is the infuriating but irresistible feeling we get from a good cliffhanger or the excitement before we try that new food flavour! It is that sense of flow we feel when we are engrossed in our work or throwing ideas around in the ultimate brainstorming session. Put simply, it is a strong desire to learn.

Another powerful form is epistemic curiosity. This describes the sense of mystery, intrigue and wonder that makes life that little bit more beautiful. It can be that feeling when we look at the stars and wonder what is really out there. It is a strong motivator because it is about our desire to discover rather than a need to know. Therefore, it is often the fuel for that all-important informal learning.

When we embrace curiosity as individuals or businesses, we choose to think a little differently, challenge the norm and venture into the unknown.

Here are some reasons why you need to make curiosity a part of your company culture. Let us get curious!

Employee Happiness.

Is your company a ‘curious’ organization? Putting curiosity at the heart of your organization helps boost employee wellbeing. This is not too surprising - we all know that awesome feeling of learning something new. So, we need to create more opportunities for these air-guitar-worthy moments at work. With the belief that happy employees are 12% more productive, a little curiosity is worth the effort!

Discover Passion and Purpose at Work.

Establishing a deep sense of purpose and keep the staff engaged throughout the employee life cycle. How is it done? Start with the power of ‘what if’. We learn and remember things better when we discover them for ourselves. So rather than simply telling your staff why they matter, encourage them to ‘get curious’! Provide opportunities through informal learning, to explore how they personally feel about the company’s vision and values. By having a sense of purpose, employees will be more likely to embrace the company mission and understand how they make a difference.

Supports Employee Learning & Development.

Research shows that feeling curious improves our ability to learn and retain information. A sense of intrigue primes the brain for learning because it signals that something important is about to happen - something worth remembering! Our mind gets fired up to log whatever vital, previously unknown, information comes next!

This is why it is so important to create a company learning culture, filled with opportunities for discovery. Online learning is a great place to start. Whatever form employee training takes, make sure it piques your learners’ interest to engage them with the content. You could ask questions to get your learner’s thinking about how the content relates to them personally. You can also drop hints about content as part of a learning campaign, to build anticipation.

Social Learning.

When we discover something interesting, exciting or just downright hilarious, we want to talk about it…a lot! The potent relationship between our desire to share and our curiosity is what makes us regularly check our smartphones.

You can tap into the power of social media by encouraging learners to share what they have learned. This spreads interest in the training throughout the organization by raising employees’ awareness of ‘knowledge gaps’ that they need to fill! What is more, by communicating about their skills and knowledge, employees can learn from each other through informal learning.

Improves Innovation.

Simply thinking a little differently about life gets our creative juices flowing. Let us try it! Think of a brand-new mythical creature, from two existing real-life animals. What is it? How would it survive? By simply asking a few random questions we have already taken our minds in a completely different, creative direction. Curiosity fosters creativity!

Our minds have so much potential to think differently. All we need is a little encouragement. As leaders and managers, we need to encourage the same opportunities for creative thought and expression within our workforce, to keep innovation levels high.

Social Connection.

Finally, a point that is close to everybody's heart - friendship at work. Close connections at work are extremely important for many reasons, primarily employee happiness and engagement. Yet, you could sit opposite the same person for years and never really speak to him.

To create close bonds, we need to want to get to know our colleagues better. It is easy to assume we have little in common with our colleagues.
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