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How curious are you when it comes to your professional life (or life in general for that matter)? Did you know that curiosity can not only increase your chances for success but also bring a host more meaning to your days even if you work at the most mundane tasks? I hadn't really thought of it this way beyond my study of beginner's mind until I read Todd Kashdan's book Curious?:Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life. I picked up the book at the library based on a colleague's recommendation and I'm glad I did.
In the book he covers the gamut of curiosity from the benefits to its dark side in all areas of life. What really resonated with me, however was the role of curiosity in professional success. From the role of curiosity in innovation to its ability to stave off boredom with mundane tasks, the point is - curiosity really matters. While the author doesn't reference the Pike Place Fish Market and the famous Fish! Philosophy it certainly reminded me of it. While curiosity is not one of the four Fish! principles, inherent within play comes curiosity. It's not all about just having fun, however, curiosity can be serious and powerful stuff.
Being a cat person myself, I really liked the article "What You Can Learn from a Kitten". Besides investing four minutes of my life watching a video of a kitten attempt to kill an electric toothbrush, it does illustrate how well cats do the curiosity thing and how we might learn to tap into our own inner-kitten.
Dr. Lois Frankel has this to say in "Curiosity Killed What Cat? When? Where?":
...one of the key factors we use to assess the likelihood of a potential client actually meeting his or her goals is curiosity. In initial interviews we’ll ask questions like:
* What was the last book you read?
* Is it important that what you read have practical applications or do you just like to learn new things for the sake of learning new things?
* What was the last thing you did that took you completely out of your comfort zone?
* Given your experience, education and work history, what are some insights you’ve gained about people in general?
* What questions do you have for us/me?If the person hasn’t read any kind of book in a long time, opts for practical over learning new things, rarely goes outside of his or her comfort zone, has no insight about others or has no questions, then we’re not confident about their ability to engage in behavioral change – a factor critical for career success.
It's so true. If you plod along in your comfort zone, never ask questions, and don't seek to learn, your curiosity (and your chances at success) are kaput. My motto is that when you stop learning, it is time to die. There is always something interesting to do, experience, or learn. Even one of the most serious and successful businessmen of our time (even if you don't like him very much, you can't deny his power and influence) has a great deal to say about the important role curiosity plays in business.
Curiosity also provides a starting point for discovery. It’s a bit like research--once you find something of interest, the natural inclination is to learn more about it. Sometimes it may not have anything to do with your current endeavor, but it can broaden your understanding. I don’t believe any knowledge is wasted. My interests are diverse largely because I’m curious, which has certainly helped me as a businessman.
In trying times curiosity is even more important. There is meat behind all this. In "What Psychological Science Says About Obama and What Makes Him an Effective Leader in Trying Times":
Be wary of so-called experts who approach new problems with the old tools of past solutions. When we carefully observe other people and situations with an open, receptive attitude, our attention is broadened, we draw a greater number of connections between ideas, resulting in flexible and creative thinking. As if this weren't enough, when we are open-minded, negative emotions fail to linger or derail us from making progress toward our goals.
While we all had curiosity as children, for many of us, this skill has
