Curiosity: One of our most powerful tools

It helps us open our minds to new information, questions, perspectives and connections.

Continuous learning and the resulting curiosity were a big part of my childhood.?My family did not have much in the way of material benefits – struggling with poverty was a constant. My mother, however, made sure that books were always available and that we understood that education and learning were essential to future happiness and success.

I loved books and was curious about everything. I dreamed of what was "over the horizon" – what lay beyond. These dreams inspired me to leave, expand my experiences and eventually lead to a life in education, government and health care.

Curiosity fueled me – inspired me to get first-hand experience and take risks. Curiosity educates and it provides perspective. Each Monday I meet with all new employees of Northwell Health – almost 300 per week. At those meetings I encourage and speak about the benefits of continuous curiosity – it leads to creativity, innovation, flexibility and adaptability. It is, I explain, a core part of our culture.?

I’m not alone in valuing this characteristic in the workplace, and I encourage other leaders to value it, too.

A 2021 study reports that nearly 72% of surveyed managers believe curiosity is “a very valuable trait in employees, with more than half strongly agreeing that curiosity drives real business impact.” It adds that employees who are more curious are higher performers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a large role in making clear the power of curiosity. At the pandemic’s height, curiosity brought us 3D printed swabs , new critical care spaces and new ways to treat patients in the face of a previously unknown virus.

We continue to work hard to encourage that mindset throughout our health system. We give employees an opportunity to receive funding for the research and development of employee-driven projects through an internal competition called the Innovation Challenge.

Our 2021 competition produced ideas that have the potential to transform the future of medicine: a new treatment for bleeding disorders, a device to detect ulcers and an AI algorithm that predicts patients’ stability so clinical staff know when to let them continue to sleep. I look forward to seeing what our 2023 competition brings. It gives me a chance to see how people think — which problems they approach and how they brainstorm and develop solutions.?

A curious mind leads to lifelong learning, both in and out of work. It allows us to ask questions and question ourselves, to take a fresh look at old problems and anticipate future challenges. The day we stop educating ourselves and start to think we know everything is the day we fall behind.

Social psychologist Adam Grant put it beautifully:

“In a changing world, expertise quickly becomes obsolete without humility and curiosity. Expertise is what you know. Humility is knowing what you don’t know. Curiosity is how much you want to learn. Expertise yields insight today. Humility and curiosity fuel growth tomorrow.”

I’d add that curiosity creates pathways, allowing us to meet and connect with people. It allows us opportunities to find out about others and, ultimately, ourselves. Curiosity can help us better assess and evaluate challenges. It can help us shed assumptions, ask questions and “read the room” instead of jumping to conclusions.

It’s also an invitation to join a conversation. Curiosity allows more people to offer their varied ideas and viewpoints, including those that differ from our own. That can lead to wider perspectives, more options and, hopefully, a clearer path.

Curiosity lays a strong foundation for an innovative workplace and a thoughtful, open mind. Hopefully, it helps us work toward the type of professional and emotional growth we all seek.