BE CURIOUS AND AMBITIOUS AT WORKPLACE: BUSINESS INSIGHTS

Ken Robinson, British author and speaker once said, “Curiosity is the engine of achievement.”

Asking questions has always led us to answers. Asking “what” and “how” help us understand more about the tasks at hand. But asking “why” ignites curiosity and lights up the path to smoother processes and sustainable success.

“Why do some tasks take more time to complete?” “Why are certain apps or devices so popular?” “Why do some businesses experience soaring success?”

Asking “why” and being curious helps you understand the root of the problems at hand. It gives you a different perspective to look at things in workplaces or your personal life.

Why should you be curious at work?

Research has shown that curiosity benefits organizations in many ways. One such research mentioned in Harvard Business Review talks about the crucial aspects of why you should foster curiosity at work.

1. Improved productivity and better solutions

Starting a fire from flints in Stone Age to self-driving cars in Digital Era and all the inventions and innovations in between have something in common – curious minds seeking brilliant solutions together.

Greater curiosity among your team members will have a variety of perspectives, ideas, and insights on the table when trying to solve a critical issue or seeking creative breakthroughs to improve existing processes and products. When you are stuck with a certain task or project, having a different perspective from your curious team members or your own curious mind can solve the issue with diverse creative and practical solutions.

2. Reduced decision-making errors

Asking “why” triggers natural instincts of knowing more and deeper about situations, people, and beliefs. It prevents employees at work from forming broad judgments and unconscious biases.

Instead of falling prey to preconceived beliefs and looking for information that supports our beliefs, we seek facts and evidence that speak of unbiased reality. Curiosity in

workplaces makes employees unbiased, hungry for new knowledge, and fosters a positive and flexible work culture.

At Medline India, we foster a culture of curiosity where leaders keep their doors open for doubts, new ideas, and perspectives. We always welcome talented minds who are passionate to learn and ambitious for growth.

How to build your “curious muscle”?

1. Make time to read and research everyday

In today’s fast-paced environment where workplaces often demand multi-tasking, where we struggle with interferences of social media and internet slowing down to making time for your curious self, can be quite difficult. But slowing down at work and focusing on quality instead of quantity can actually improve your productivity and work satisfaction.

So, take time out from your busy schedule every day and look at problems or situations at hand from a different angle and evaluate different probabilities and solutions in mind. Start reading more about subjects that interests you more. This will certainly help you gain more knowledge and learn from the experiences of leaders and influencers in your field, preventing you from making similar mistakes as they may have committed and learned on the way.

2. Listen to others’ ideas and opinions

Being curious implies asking questions which leads to fruitful communication. And active listening is a crucial part of any fruitful communication. Being an active listener simply means keeping your ears and mind open to the thoughts, perspectives, ideas, and opinions of those around you.

It often happens during discussions or brainstorming sessions at the workplace when your peer presents ideas or opinions that challenge your own. Instead of writing down those ideas or pointers, try asking yourself, “How can I learn more about different perspectives that I don’t understand yet?” “How can I train my mind to seek beyond what is being presented and see the perspective where those ideas or solutions came from?”

Asking questions to yourself will help you be more open and courageous to challenge your own beliefs. Asking questions to your peers will show that you trust and value their opinions and are open to new information, ideas, and insights.

3. Practice reel angles in real life

Developing curiosity doesn’t have to be boring and taxing. To make this easier and more interesting, start with your favorite movie, series or novel and ask questions such as “why did a certain character react the way he/she did?” “What if the main character made a different decision in a crucial moment, then changed the story ahead?” Asking such questions will help you see similar situations from different perspectives.

Start applying a similar thought process to your workplace scenario and personal life situations. Get comfortable with asking “why” and more relevant questions instead of just accepting the actions and decisions shared with you at the workplace or in your personal life.

Digging deeper and considering the big picture always helps grasp the subject or situation better. Also, by asking questions you trigger the curiosity of people around you, so they can better answer yours.

Investing in your curiosity is a way to invest in your career and as a person. By fostering a curious mindset, you open doors to unexpected possibilities. You recognize how much there’s to learn from others in your workplace. Choose to ask meaningful questions every day. The more you cultivate your curious mind, the more you learn, grow, and succeed in your career and life.

Authored by: Suvojit Roychowdhury, Director – Finance

A chartered accountant from India and England & Wales and alumni of IIM Lucknow, Suvojit has over 24 years of experience in multiple industries such as Healthcare, E-commerce, Technology, Telecom hardware, and IT & ITES.

During his career span till now Suvojit has been adding value to finance strategies, controllership and, risk mitigation for both Regional and Global organizations that enables and delivers business outcomes in cost and efficiency optimization and process automation. His efforts and strategies have enabled businesses to build and maintain a risk-controlled business culture and customer-centric eco-systems.