By Liz Atkin
The Power of Curiosity
What if one of the most valuable assets in business costs nothing, requires no technology and is available to everyone?
I’m talking about curiosity.
It sounds simple. Perhaps even a little childlike. But in business, curiosity can actually be the difference between making assumptions or finding out what’s really going on. Ask any entrepreneur who spotted the opportunity that everyone else had missed.
Curiosity can be the difference between defending a position or discovering a better one. The difference between talking at people or actually understanding them.
And in a workplace made up of different generations, curiosity has never been more valuable.
In my work with clients, I’ll often use my F.A.O. technique to distinguish Facts, Assumptions, and Opinions. We’ll create a ‘wailing wall’ on a whiteboard where everyone can off-load their frustrations. By discussing each pain point and asking a few simple questions, it soon becomes clear whether each frustration is a valid one.
The problem is that assumptions are often invisible to us. Curiosity on the other hand makes them visible.
Instead of thinking, “Why don’t they ever pick up the phone?”, curiosity asks, “I wonder why they prefer communicating this way?”
Instead of “Young people don’t want to work hard”, it asks, “What does a good working life mean to them – and why?”
Instead of “Older managers just don’t get it”, it asks, “What experience might they have that I don’t?”
That shift in thinking can be transformative, and holds even more potential in a mixed generation workplace. Each generation has grown up with different technologies, social expectations, economic circumstances and experiences of work. But the danger is turning those differences into lazy labels: “Gen X are like this.” “Gen Z are like that.”
Curiosity gives us a better alternative. Meet the person, not the stereotype. Ask questions. Listen to the answer. Ask another question.
You might discover that the colleague you thought was resistant to change is actually worried about getting something wrong. That the younger employee asking “Why do we do it this way?” isn’t being disrespectful, they’re seeing an opportunity to improve something but going about it a little clumsily. Or that the experienced colleague who seems cautious has seen the consequences of a similar change before.
We know that different perspectives can create friction. However, they can also create better decisions when you use curiosity to move from “Who’s right?” to “What are we missing?” It keeps us learning. It challenges our certainty, surfaces blind spots and opens conversations that might otherwise never happen.
Perhaps most importantly, it creates the conditions for trust. Because when someone genuinely wants to understand you, you notice.
And I’m going to throw in a bonus here – leaving your ‘comfort zone’ of thinking is actually intellectually stimulating!
So perhaps the next time a conversation isn’t going well, resist the temptation to explain, defend or judge. Get curious instead.
Simply said, the best question in the room might just be the one nobody has thought to ask.
And if you’re curious about how I might help you improve your workplace dynamics, get in touch.
liz@refreshingcomms.co.uk