What if the most important “skill” I want to develop can’t be taught?
I was recently asked about how I approach my own professional development and the development of my team.
As a designer and facilitator of collaborative experiences, I scour many different sources online and in the real world to increase my knowledge and skills. And while there are definitely facilitation trainings I could attend and certifications I could acquire, the most important skill to develop in me and my team is curiosity.
Why curiosity? For me, curiosity is the the key to helping others find joy and purpose in all they do. Curiosity is my pause button to resist jumping directly into problem solving mode. Curiosity is my shield against “thats the way we’ve always done things”. Curiosity is my reminder to invite perspectives from those who don’t see the world as I do. Just imagine how the world might be if, in the words of Ted Lasso, we were all “curious, not judgmental.”
There are also many educational and business thinkers who believe curiosity is an important and valuable skill. Harvard Business Review writes about the “Business Case for Curiosity”, Forbes writes about “The Power of Curiosity in the Workplace”, and MIT Management outlines “How to boost curiosity in the workplace and why”.
Employers also find curiosity valuable. A 2021 study from SAS reports a 90% growth in job postings that mention curiosity, 87% growth in the mention of skills related to curiosity and 71% growth in member posts and shares that mention curiosity. (SAS Institute, 2021)
With all the personal interest, notable articles, research and trends and workplace desire for curiosity, I wondered where I might go to learn to become better at being curious? The bad news might be that I can’t. Curiosity is not, from what I have found, offered through formal training.
One reason might be that curiosity is NOT a skill that can be taught? After more time down the rabbit hole, I learned curiosity can be described as a skill, a talent, a trait, a mindset, and a capability. Philosopher and psychologist William James (1899) called curiosity “the impulse towards better cognition,” meaning that it is the desire to understand what you know that you do not. Emily Boudreau’s article, A Curious Mind, cites the following insights about curiosity, as a skill, from Elizabeth Bonawitz of the Harvard Graduate School of Education:
- There’s no scientific evidence that you can “foster” curiosity as a trait — but you can create situations that prompt and guide a person’s curiosity
- Most of the ways we measure and assess curiosity don’t actually measure curiosity itself
With that knowledge, how might I train myself and others to become more curious? In the absence of formalized training, here are four things that I am developing to create the space and opportunity for curiosity to flourish: context, conduct, containers and community
Context
Context comes from the Latin words con ( “together”) and texere ( “to weave”). The raw meaning of it is therefore “weaving together”. Context is often used in writing to help the reader understand where characters are in their story. With regards to curiosity, it provides the setting where you are in relation to the topic, problem or situation. I create context through a technique I learned during my time in the military to deliver a quick and simple way to provide others with the context they need to assess a situation, understand the objectives, and explore possibilities to achieve favorable outcomes. I call it a “buddy brief”. When people understand the context, you give them the space and opportunity for curiosity to flourish.
Conduct
Conduct for curiosity refers to actions that support curious mindsets and curious behaviors. How you conduct yourself — the habits you build, the practices you prioritize, the ability to reflect and self-evaluate — impacts the your ability to develop a desire to learn and explore new ideas and possibilities. This means, if you want to foster creativity in yourself, you have to be thoughtful and intentional about what your habits and practices are and how they impact your mindset and behaviors. And, cultivating creativity in others starts with you. You have to model the actions, mindsets, and behaviors you want others to adopt. By demonstrating curiosity to others and celebrating when they model it in return, you create the space and opportunity for curious culture to flourish.
Containers
Containers are the physical, emotional and psychological spaces that facilitate curious conditions. What do the containers in which you live and work look and feel like? Do they encourage exploration? Do they open your thinking or restrict it? Is there space in interactions with others where curiosity is welcomed? Containers for curiosity allow us room to move, to change perspectives to ask, to explore and to discover. I love Seb’s ideas around moving furniture or meetings in the dark. They offer new spaces and opportunity for curiosity to flourish.
Community
Community is the group of people with whom your surround yourself. Your community should support, challenge, and inspire your curiosity. If you surround yourself with people who support, challenge and inspire you to be curious, then your curiosity will flourish. If you surround yourself with people who do the opposite, then your curiosity will go the way of the dodo. Who are the people in your life that create the space and opportunity for your curiosity to flourish? If you have none, find some. If you have some, find more. And above all, cherish the community you build.
I realize these four elements do not constitute a formal training curriculum I can administer to myself or to others to become more versed in curiosity. Perhaps, someday, educational institutions, governments, and commercial organizations will formally offer curiosity training inspired by them. Maybe someone should think about creating that :)
Curiously yours, Garett
