For a long time, I have been curious about curiosity. Curiosity, or the desire to learn something new, is the power behind becoming an expert. Curiosity is the “hunger” between wanting to know and knowing.
Curiosity results in fewer decision errors, innovation is expanded, conflict is reduced, and there is more open communication. However, to bolster curiosity takes time.
One of my coaching clients, upon first meeting, asked incisive and insightful questions. After answering a plethora of questions, I realized that his curiosity was an intellectual hunger. I learned he had multiple degrees, traveled the world, and was insatiable curious. My conclusion was his curiosity would make him successful in achieving his professional goals.
In fact, one criterion for “coachability” is curiosity. With curiosity anyone can learn anything. Without curiosity, a person’s intellect is vapid and ultimately becomes stale.
Here are six suggestions for bolstering and deepening your curiosity:
- Identify learning objectives. – Think about what attracts your intellectual attention during down time. Write a list of those subjects that keep getting your attention.
- Schedule curiosity time. – Schedule time, even if 15minutes, for curiosity time. During this time, ask yourself “What would I like to learn today?” Use the time to learn something unfamiliar.
- Read something “strange”. – Read about a topic that has nothing to do with your line of work. You can fuel your curiosity by reading novels instead of non-fiction. Characters in novels teach us about relationships and human behavior.
- Ask questions of everyone. – When you meet someone ask questions. Ask about how the person got into their field of study, what interests them, the last book they read, and other questions. Questions stimulate curiosity.
- Find a “curiosity sanctuary”. – Environments can either stimulate curiosity or damped it. Explore places where you mind is stimulated and motivated to learn more. Allow for internal questions of “What am I feeling or experiencing here?”
- “Surf” online bookstores. – Connect to an online bookstore and just look at the different book titles. Read about a book that piques your interest. Read a page or two. If you want to learn more, send a sample to your Kindle or other E-reader.