We have recently been working with several executive teams from a wide range of sectors to help them establish a more curious mindset when they think together to solve problems and create new ideas.

Being curious encourages a team to take time to explore the problem from different angles before taking action. Often, when we face a new, complex problem, it can make us feel uncomfortable and force us to rush to a solution. If we approach a problem first with curiosity, as an alternative to moving immediately to solutions, it can help us work through that initial discomfort.

Curiosity encourages a team to be open minded to fresh insights and more committed to exploring what they don’t know exists or might be possible.

A curious team will let go of assumptions and deliberately explore areas such as context, rational and emotional factors, meanings and behaviours to enrich their understanding of the problem. A curious team allows themselves to be surprised and puzzled by insights they may have taken for granted.

This curiosity mindset is displayed at the beginning of our team collaboration sessions when a team is thinking together to solve a business challenge.  We encourage the team to start exploring the problem from a broad perspective.

For example, we have just worked with the senior team at a major retailer who wanted to know how to encourage their shoppers to be more proactive at recycling packaging at home. The group didn’t start by simply looking at how people were currently recycling packaging. Instead, they shared their insights and understanding on family life in the kitchen to learn more about the food and drinks they care about, the time pressure they often experience and their family interactions. 

Exploring your problem with curiosity helps your team learn more about the challenge or problem by understanding the full context rather than just the narrow issue itself. This allows the team to guide you as the leader with what they collectively feel is important in contrast to steering the thinking and ideas yourself.