077 – Cultivating curiosity with Evette Cordy
Why curious companies win
If you could guarantee just one trait for your child what would it be? Kindness? Intelligence? Enthusiasm? Those are all good choices but my guest this week says the most important human gift is curiosity. It’s the key to creativity, innovation and personal growth. Evette Cordy is the author of Cultivating Curiosity: How to Unearth Your Most Valuable Problem to Inspire Growth. A healthy dose of curiosity allows us to be both problem solvers and problem finders. The ability to ask the right questions and devise clever solutions are products of the curious mind.
Lessons Learned
Curiosity finds problems
It might be the last thing you need – more problems. But if you don’t find your problems they will find you. Many organizations are incredible chaotic. Simply reacting to problems is no way to run a business. Instead you have to anticipate and plan for the unexpected. To be successful in the future your company has to make big leaps.
Becoming curious is a process
You have to be open and willing to step outside your comfort zone if you are going to learn. We’re all born with curiosity. The trick is to become far more disciplined. The dedicated practice of curiosity is something that you need to incorporate in your everyday life.
The six curiosity mindsets
- The Rebel is someone who is prepared to go out on a limb to seek a better way to do things. This person is not afraid to challenge authority
- The Zen Master is somebody who allows in he stillness and allows in the present moment. Empathetic and open to new ideas.
- The Novice is someone who understands how little they actually know. People tend to be overconfident and that produces mistakes.
- The Sleuth is someone that will observe what people say and what they actually do.
- The Interrogator is someone that will ask questions that have never been asked before.
- The Play Maker is someone not afraid to have fun and likes to experience life through play.
