Curiosity Drives Innovation

I believe curiosity drives innovation, and government needs both. Digital transformation pushes forward, and those that fail to adapt are being left behind.

The True Nature of Curiosity

Curiosity is a bug that bites you at birth. It infects you with the disease of questions. How does that work? Can we make it better? Parents see it as kids are often curious, but many grow out of their “why phase”. The truly curious never do. We become curious people, but that is a journey with no destination. 

I lived near two manufacturing plants in my youth. I asked the security guards about what plant workers were making. The answers were copper wire and landing gear for planes. Even as a child, I had a burning desire to know how they made these products. In summer, each plant closed, and all the workers took vacation. After much begging, I finally got the security guards to take me inside.

My curiosity paid off. I was the only 10-year old to tour both facilities. At 12, I got an underground tour of a major mining operation. At 14, I joined a healthcare immersion program run by a local medical school exploring medical specialties. 

You don’t have to be the curious type to see the pattern developing, the never ending need to know, to understand, and to improve. It turns out these are great attributes for problem solving and have served me well throughout my career, especially at SAS.

Curiosity Forever 

True curiosity doesn’t go away. At SAS, we believe in “Curiosity Forever” - the idea that curiosity feeds innovation. I saw this on the rare occasion in government but nearly every day since joining SAS. The difference was so great that I modified my motto to, “Collaboration drives innovation, and collaboration of the curious drives innovation exponentially.” 

What does curiosity forever look like? I may not know exactly since forever is a long time, but I have an idea. My friend Joyce, who is also the curious type, retired more than 10 years ago and we talk regularly. Given our age difference, people ask her what we talk about. Of course, the answer is everything. There is a 98-year old man in her building who seems very young inside. Joyce asked him why this is, and he shared that he continues to learn and grow every day. He is still fascinated by the world and its continuing developments including technological advances. He is an insatiable reader and lifelong learner who just happened to fight in WW2 and the Korean Conflict. He’s lived through every major event since that time. Still, he’ll have curiosity forever about the world and innovation.

Curiosity and Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is the current wave of the Digital Revolution. It is just as unstoppable as the Industrial Revolution and the Technical Revolution which proceeded it. These paradigm shifts altered both technology and the human experience. This certainty in digital transformation is why we should all be curious. Business and government will change and so will our society. Aren’t you a little curious as to how things will change? What we should expect?

The truest answer is we don’t completely know. More importantly, I believe the curious will be the ones affecting change and shaping that future. We should all understand by now that data is at the heart of digital transformation. Harnessing that data to solve problems is key for all us, especially those in government. Problem solving requires curiosity. Digital transformation also means advanced analytics like artificial intelligence and machine learning. At SAS, both are used to solve government problems in healthcare, social benefits, public safety, transportation, and more. 

The Need for Curious Government

Thirty years after I started in government, the problem of data silos and limited data analysis still hinders efficient and effective government. Citizens trying to overcome government bureaucracy remains. The most vulnerable citizens fall through the cracks between departments and programs. Overall, this costs government systems as poor population health increases costs, citizens touching multiple systems often end up in higher cost settings, and lack of a 360-degree citizen view prevents us from taking more cost-effective interventions. Using advanced analytics to integrate data can help us embrace digital transformation and drive needed changes like Whole Person Care.

Unfortunately, I feel like most governments are waiting for the technology to develop that will allow them to achieve this 360-degree citizen view as part of government digital transformation. The irony is that the technology already exists, and SAS has been implementing it for over 15 years. This disconnect isn’t a technology problem. It is a people and policy problem. Post-COVID, budgets will only get tighter, and governments need to be more efficient than ever. If you want to be an effective government leader but still haven’t embraced digital transformation, then it’s time for you to get curious.