Within the heart of business and personal success lies curiosity.
Your productivity can be improved by demonstrating curiosity for your family and employees, by asking better questions, and most importantly – by listening to what the other person has to say.
In my book “Blind Spots: How to Embrace Curiosity, Disruption, and Imagination to See Yourself as a Change Agent”, I compare the method of running a family with running the workplace:
“…Are you curious about where your children want to go on vacation? Most times, we plan the trip and then announce it to our children. But what if we asked them? Yes, they may say “Disney World!” and when the reality of our bank account sinks in, all you can do is a “staycation.”
That does not mean you have not heard them.
You owe them an explanation, of course, and if it is not to be, then it is up to you (and your spouse) to explain the reality of the family finances.”
The same can be applied to our workplace culture. Are you curious about your employee’s opinions? Have you asked them how they feel about a certain change in the workplace?
If you don’t have the habit of chatting with your employees, you’re probably wondering how to start.
By being curious.
Productivity Can Be Improved By Demonstrating Curiosity in the Workplace
One of the key ways to demonstrate your curiosity in the workplace is to practice Management by Wandering Around:
Stop and have a frank conversation with line staff and middle management. Find out about them as a person, not just a recap of yesterday’s game.
Then, ask them pointed questions about the inner workings of their department, what is working, what could use some tweaking or improvement, but above all, how do they feel about the job:
Would they recommend their job to their best friend?
Are they planning to stay?
What is their vision for the future?
By allowing yourself to speak openly with your employees you might be answering two very important questions that could affect your business:
- What hidden costs are you ignoring?
- How are you being shortsighted by lacking the curiosity to go out and seek the information that will streamline your operation?
Get out there! Talk to your employees.
Spend a couple of hours wandering around every day so the employees and the management team gets used to seeing you.
Very soon, you will notice that they will start emulating you and slowly but surely, you will have created an environment where people feel safe and comfortable sharing ideas and participating in being curious about better outcomes.
Productivity Can Be Improved By Creating a Work Culture of Understanding
It is very important, when an employee tells you about a deficiency or issue, that their immediate supervisor does not get back to them in such a way that they feel guilty, as they will never speak up again.
Productivity Can Be Improved By Using Various Management Tools
There are many management tools to help us with measuring the level of engagement, and commitment to the job:
- Associate surveys. While Associate Surveys have a terrific purpose, they are spaced apart, and lack the personal touch of “The Boss” showing that she cares about them as a person, and as a contributor to the bottom line.
- Informal chats with staff
- Anonymous notes
None of them can replace your personal curiosity!
This curiosity is what will help you keep a clear channel of communication between family members, subordinates, associates, and clients.
In my book, “Blind Spots: How to Embrace Curiosity, Disruption, and Imagination to See Yourself as a Change Agent” I mention a practice called “Hyatt Talks.”
It is a companywide practice of meeting with ten random employees for breakfast or lunch in one of the hotel’s restaurants, and making myself (as general manager) available to them.
We would go around the table and tell a little bit about ourselves, our background, where we are from, education, hobbies, family, and so on. This enabled us to find out more about each other.
By allowing a housekeeper to find out a little bit about the personal life of a cook, we may create an environment where in the future they choose to sit together in the cafeteria, but above all, to cooperate and work together should the occasion arise.
Productivity Can Be Improved By Listening
The other side of asking questions, of course, is to listen to the answers we get.
The old adage, “God gave us two ears and one mouth, so listen twice, and speak once,” is crucial in stoking your curiosity.
Most times, when we think we are listening, when in reality we are already postulating our response to the other person’s point of view, idea, or concern. Rather than hearing what they are saying, we are throwing up barriers to their ideas.
There is no faster way to kill ideas, than by not really listening.
Tomorrow when you get to your workplace, stop and remember that productivity CAN be improved with the help of your curiosity, by asking better questions, AND listening to the answer we’re given.
