Stay Curious

I firmly believe that it's curiosity that drives excellence; but why? What about curiosity could be so important? Especially something that is often times considered childlike. It's no secret that children are the most curious people on the planet. If you've ever been around a small child, you know the amount of questions they have the ability to ask in a single breath is pretty phenomenal. Speaking of children, it's been accepted in medical and scientific communities that children are able to learn quicker than adults. One major reason why... is curiosity. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, where working memory is stored, is more developed in adults than children. But what does that mean? I'll break it down real quick. Children are curious while many adults are not; we don't have to be. Our memory allows us to run on auto pilot because we already know things. Example: When we see a shovel, we already know it is for digging. The thought process stops there. Curiosity motivates our mind to discover everything we could possibly do with a shovel. I am challenging you to at least once a day, turn off autopilot. This will allow you to not only absorb information quicker, over time, but it will help you discover new possibilities. How can this help you as a manager? Well, curiosity is a hunger that can only be satisfied with knowledge. Knowledge increases our confidence. Confidence invites trust from those around us; clients, colleagues, managers and employees. Curiosity is so much more than childlike. It drives excellence. We're excellent. Prove it by allowing ourselves to ask questions... so many questions.... Just maybe not in one breath.