A curious article appeared in the September–October 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review, “The Business Case for Curiosity”, being the lead article in HBR’s Spotlight package on Curiousity.
“Curiosity, we all know, is the spark that can lead to breakthrough innovation. And it turns out that it helps produce more than new ideas. Recent research by Francesca Gino at Harvard Business School points to several surprisingly practical benefits for business”.
- Curiosity improves decision-making because it reduces our susceptibility to stereotypes and confirmation bias.
- Curiosity fuels employee engagement and collaboration.
- Curiosity fortifies organizational resilience by prompting creative problem-solving in the face of uncertainty and pressure.
In short, curiosity boosts business performance.
“And yet, while managers may say they value inquisitiveness, too often they stifle it. In a survey of some 3,000 employees across a wide range of firms and industries, Gino found that just one-quarter reported feeling curious on the job regularly, and 70% said they faced barriers to asking more questions at work.”
“Gino found that leaders discourage curiosity for two main reasons: First, they believe that if they let employees explore new ideas and approaches, they’ll have a managerial nightmare on their hands. Second, their single-minded pursuit of efficiency leaves little room for experimentation.”
This aligns with my experiences in the last decade. I’ve been in environments where leaders either actively discourage curiosity or through confirmation bias seek information that only supports their beliefs rather than be open to evidence suggesting they might be wrong.
We therefore see employees focussing on today and not the near future, so the status quo isn’t challenged.
How crucial is curiosity in continuous improvement and continuing learning
Curiosity is essential in both continuous improvement and ongoing learning because it drives the desire to explore new ideas, ask critical questions, and challenge the status quo.
In the context of continuous improvement, curiosity encourages individuals and teams to seek better ways of working, innovate processes, and find creative solutions to problems.
It leads to a proactive mindset where one constantly looks for opportunities to optimize or evolve.
For ongoing learning, curiosity is the foundation. It fuels the motivation to acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, and stay updated in a rapidly changing environment.
Without curiosity, learning can become stagnant, and improvement efforts may lack depth or creativity.
Consider this. In environments where curiosity is fostered, teams tend to be more adaptable, resilient, and better positioned to handle complex challenges.
What type of environment do you prefer?
Leave a Reply