CURIOSITY PAYOUT

Being curious has a host of benefits

BY Archana Law

In recent years, researchers have become curious about curiosity! In the words of theoretical physics genius Albert Einstein: “I have no special talent – I am only passionately curious.”

Curiosity is a fundamental human trait. Everyone is curious but the object and degree of that curiosity differs depending on the person and situation. It refers to the strong desire to know the unknown and (in a sense) to see the unseen. Psychologists also agree that curiosity isn’t about satisfying an immediate need such as hunger or thirst – rather, it’s intrinsically motivated.

So why are people curious and what are the benefits of a curious mind? More often than not, our curiosity has us doing utterly unproductive things – because we love to know the answers to problems even if there’s no obvious benefit.

An early human channelled inspiration into pure ingenuity and figured out how to start a fire. The control of fire supplemented many more incredible inventions – stone tools, boats, spears, language, glue, clothing and so much more.

A special spark drove humans to explore, discover and invent. That special spark lives within each of us too. It makes us eager to learn things and solve problems. Whenever you’re listening to music, reading a book or watching TV, that spark is there – helping your imagination to soar. This special spark is curiosity: the desire to seek out new knowledge and learn how things work.

So what makes us curious? The roots of our peculiar curiosity can be linked to a trait of the human species called ‘neoteny.’ This is a term from evolutionary theory about a juvenile characteristic retained by adults which engenders a childlike sense of wonder, the capacity to learn and a deep sense of attachment to each other.

Our extended childhood means we can absorb so much more from the environment including our shared culture. Even in adulthood, we can pick up new ways of doing things and creative thinking allows us to adapt to new circumstances.

In the world of AI, computer scientists have explored how behaviour evolves when guided by different learning algorithms. An important result is that even the best learning algorithms fall down or get stuck in a repetitive pattern if they are not encouraged to explore a little.

The implication for our own brains is clear. We’re naturally designed to leave the beaten track and try out new things.

Curiosity is also good for business. Corporate cultures that focus on curiosity can drive business growth. When people get along, feel invested, ask more questions and look for the best answers, they come up with new ideas. Any time an employee helps to solve an organisational problem, they’ve indirectly contributed to increasing revenue and driving business growth.

Active minds create newer and better solutions. When everyone – and not only the owners or managers – are creatively engaged, you’ll get a greater variety of perspectives on corporate problems, which often translate into better and more innovative solutions.

In a culture of curiosity, employees become more excited about their work and take ownership of what they produce. When they feel empowered to explore ideas, they’re more committed to work… and you can expect to see results that produce new opportunities.

Curiosity makes a person flexible and open to what’s possible. When you are genuinely curious, you’re less susceptible to ‘confirmation bias.’ This is the phenomenon where people tend to find information that only supports what they already believe while dismissing anything that doesn’t conform to their predetermined conclusions.

But there’s a dilemma here: because in a competitive, complex and volatile business environment, organisations now need more from their employees than ever before. But the same forces rocking businesses are also overwhelming employees, driving up their fears and compromising capacities.

To establish a growth culture, it’s necessary to create an environment that invites inquiry by guiding employees in asking questions about their own work, the business and its processes.

Businesses need to set learning-based goals to encourage curiosity and get better results. Employers should provide responses to ideas and questions that open up a conversation. And managers will need to view their teams’ new questioning habits in a positive light.

A culture is simply the collection of beliefs upon which people build behaviour. Learning organisations classically focus on intellectually oriented issues such as knowledge and expertise.

But a true growth culture also focusses on how people build their capacities to see through blind spots, acknowledge insecurities and shortcomings, and spend less energy defending their personal values so that they have more vigour to create external value.