Are you curious?

I spent the first 3 ? years of my career at Arthur Young/Ernst & Young as a mainframe and AS/400 developer on big, custom systems (pausing so that those who know me well can get their laughs out). I learned a lot but took the advice of a great leader (still a mentor today) to investigate consulting in software companies.? He said, “If you really want to understand business and see a lot of its diversity, get into consulting in the software world”.? Great advice and shortly thereafter, I took a job with an ERP software company called Software 2000 as a technical consultant and grew there to oversee North American Professional Services before I left for my next adventure.? But it was at that company that I learned all about the power of curiosity – and it all started on a riverboat casino in Southern Illinois.

Software 2000 wasn’t a huge company, and our implementation approach was very quick and pointed.? The AS/400 and accounting principles were straight forward. ?We rarely traveled to customers in groups – most of our work was independent with the customer.? And we often visited several customers in the same week – all onsite back in the day. I was a road warrior but from a growth perspective, it was a rich, rich time.

My role on this project was to install the software, set up initial information and convert data from a legacy system.? As I worked in a small room, Amy (last name escapes me) came in and introduced herself as Director of Operations.? Right after that, she sat down and asked, “So – what do you know about offshore gambling operations?”? As a 27-year-old consultant, I panicked.? My hourly rate was high so going with my initial answer of “Well, until now I didn’t know there were onshore AND offshore gambling operation types” seemed short-sighted.? I chose to be honest and said, “Not much, unfortunately.? But I know our products like the back of my hand”.? Nailed my answer!!? Then she said, “That’s important to get your job done – but what we’re also paying you for is to ask questions.? We’re paying you to be curious.? Let’s take a walk.”? And so off we went.

As we walked through the riverboat, I watched operations come to life.? Tables, slot machines, backoffice systems, carpet installation, phone lines.? It all happens at the same time because in a casino, time is money.? As I took in all the energy going on around me, Amy said something that settled into me moving forward.? She said, “As we walk around, ask whatever comes into your head – don’t second guess whether it’s a “smart” question.”? So, I turned off my filter and asked questions like why certain games were on certain floors of the boat, why slot machines faced into the boat instead of out and how they determine the length of a voyage.

Amy answered each of the questions and the answers weren’t that complicated.? They usually had to do with creating a customer experience that drives comfort in spending money.? But what was really cool was how Amy helped me understand why those pieces of information were useful in building a more effective chart of accounts in the General Ledger!? Just like that, my simple questions had relevance to the work I was doing!?

From that point forward, I pushed myself to ask questions – all sorts of questions.? Make no mistake, this doesn’t replace being fully prepared for the work for which I was being paid.? It just empowered me to know that being curious wasn’t showing ignorance.? It was showing interest.? It’s why today whenever I meet new customers, I do things like review annual reports to understand the highest level of business objective – far beyond whatever me or my team is working on.

Be curious.

1.??????? Customers love to talk about their businesses.? They have invested so much into what they are doing, and they want to share it with you.

2.??????? No matter what, the more engaged we are the better work we do – hard stop.

3.??????? Our ability to tie the work we do to a variety of business objectives adds value and dimension to how we serve our customers.

4.??????? Life is short!? If you’re curious, ask.

PS – For all the dads out there, being curious also works to build

inventory into your arsenal of useless things to tell your kids!? I see you smiling.