The Power of Curiosity: How Asking Questions Can Help You Overcome Challenges
When you're feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to take a step back and ask yourself some questions. What's causing this feeling? What are my priorities right now? What can I delegate or outsource? By taking a moment to be curious about what's going on, you can start to regain control of the situation.
Curiosity is powerful because it allows us to be open to new ideas and possibilities. It also helps us to be more agile and innovative in our thinking. When we're curious, we're more likely to ask questions and seek out new information. This can help us find creative solutions to problems, and it can also help us learn new things. Curiosity is a valuable tool that can help us overcome challenges and achieve our goals. So next time you're feeling overwhelmed, try curiosity on for size. It just might help you find a way through.
Harvard Business Review produced a 2018 spotlight series on curiosity that included a study of more than 3,000 employees from a wide rage of firms and industries, and this study found that “only about 24% reported feeling curious in their jobs on a regular basis, and about 70% said they face barriers to asking more questions at work.” Curiosity is increasingly sought by employers to address some of the biggest business challenges faced by organizations today – from improving employee engagement and job satisfaction to building better innovation, collaboration, and productivity in the workplace. A Forbes article entitled, “Harnessing Curiosity in Employees Contributes to Business Success,” noted the SAS Curiosity@Work Report, stating that “most managers agree that curiosity is valuable when innovating new solutions (59%), tackling complex problems (57%), and general employee satisfaction (52%).”
How curiosity can help you overcome challenges
When we're feeling overwhelmed, curiosity can help us regain control of the situation. By taking a step back and asking ourselves some questions, we can start to understand what's causing our feelings of overwhelm. We can also identify our priorities and figure out what steps we need to take to move forward. Understanding the bigger picture often gives valuable hints about our individual abilities, about what we can delegate to increase efficiencies, and how we can streamline our processes to maximize our managerial effectiveness.
The benefits of a curious mindset
When we're curious, we're more open to new ideas and possibilities. We're also more agile and innovative in our thinking. Curiosity allows us to ask questions and seek out new information. This can help us find creative solutions to problems, and it can also help us learn new things. Curiosity has the potential to overcome current assumptions that may be outdated and no longer efficient or effective with today’s dynamic business environment. For example, we may find ourselves with the new challenges that come with new resources, such as a new team member or the appointment of a new leader, or with new processes that might come with new applications or other technologies, or furthermore, with new requirements that stem from updates to policies and procedures or a change in direction of the company’s strategic vision. Without asking the right questions, we may find ourselves stuck in an inefficient routine, or we may find ourselves riding the unquestioned momentum of past successes that make us outmoded or make our achievements susceptible to disruption by the newer ideas that create more valuable returns. Being curious is key to value-driven outcomes in the workplace and in life.
Curiosity in action: some real-life examples
Curiosity doesn't just happen in the classroom or the lab. It's a powerful tool that we can use in our everyday lives to overcome challenges and achieve our goals. Here are some examples of how curiosity has helped people in their personal and professional lives:
A woman who was feeling overwhelmed by her work schedule used curiosity to figure out what was causing her stress. She asked herself some questions like, “Why don’t I ever have time to complete everything?” and “What items in my work are critical to making better outcomes?” By taking a step back and asking herself some questions, she was able to identify her priorities and make some changes to her schedule.
A man who was struggling with his health used curiosity to figure out what was causing his problems. He asked himself some questions like, “How can I make the right food choices to improve my health?” and “Who can help me with sticking to my new and healthier routine?” By asking questions and seeking out new information, he was able to make some changes to his diet and lifestyle.
A student who was struggling in school used curiosity to figure out how they could improve their grades. They asked themselves, “Where can I learn better study habits?” and “What’s causing my poor retention of information from my reading?” By asking questions and seeking out new information, they were able to find a study method that worked for them.
The Bottom Line
The power of curiosity should never be underestimated. By asking questions, we can gain a greater understanding of the situation and start to find creative solutions to challenges. It's an essential part of developing a successful innovation mindset. So next time you're feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and ask yourself some questions. You might be surprised at what you discover.
There's no better time than now to show your curiosity. In the era of #KnowledgeCreators, employers are hungry for people who can take on challenges with an innovative mindset and drive towards progress – curiosity will help you get there.
A key trend in business today is recognizing that employees need more than just skills; they also crave something different: insight into their own jobs as well as opportunities outside work. To attract these curious minds , companies must offer not only lucrative salaries but dynamic environments where ideas flourish.
We work with you to identify your unique strengths and build on them so that, together we can create a work life of creative agility. As a leader in innovative coaching frameworks, Golden Point Executives empowers professionals like yourself by giving the boost needed for living more curiously while also being successful at what you do! Why not schedule a complimentary strategic session to find out just how far your curiosity will take you?
