Harnessing Curiosity for Growth

While using Robotics & Automation in our earlier stint at Asian Paints, we always went into the details of system design, functionality, and the underlying tech stack, this helped us to effectively implement these systems faster and reduced the commissioning time significantly. The organisation encouraged this detailed exploration, but our personal curiosity was a driving force. Transitioning from 'Users' to 'Creators' at Addverb, we were amateurs at organisation-building, and that was compensated by our curiosity. It helped us in shaping our work culture, defining our product portfolio, and selecting the right team. Curiosity, more than a mindset, proved to be a tool for asking questions, finding solutions, connecting with people, and navigating a rapidly changing world. Organisations can foster curiosity through different ways, for instance Greg Dyke, who, before officially becoming director general of the BBC, spent five months asking employees, "What is the one thing I should do to make things better for you and for viewers and listeners?”. This helped him get new perspectives, which would not come in the normal course of conversation, Brian Grazer, the famous Hollywood producer would schedule “Curiosity Conversation” with professionals from different backgrounds like scientists, spies, business leaders, adventurers, and this inspired him to create iconic movies like A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, 8 Mile, American Gangster, and many more. At Addverb, we try and consistently promote a culture of curiosity, urging individuals to ask questions and fostering employee connect through programs like "Curious by Choice." This initiative teaches the art of nurturing curiosity. This emphasis on understanding, connection, and continuous growth ensures that our workplace thrives on a foundation of curiosity. As we continue to evolve the future of work, it’s important that we understand that inculcating curiosity will have a big role to play in it. How can curiosity be harnessed to enhance collaboration in a virtual environment? In what ways can leaders nurture curiosity? #Addverb #curiosity #culture #leadership

I'm currently working with an organization struggling with low trust internally. In addition to undermining collaboration, performance, and engagement, the environment of low trust is eroding people's curiosity about each other and driving criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, and condemnation. Via coaching, training, and facilitation, I'm helping people shift from judgment of others to curiosity about others. Not only is this shift important for the vitality of my client, it's crucial to individual and collective functioning and well-being generally. Indeed, the polarization plaguing societies around the world is a product of rapid judgment of others and inadequate curiosity about what drives them and what we have in common. But what if we paused for a moment? What if we chose curiosity over condemnation? Being less judgmental and more curious can transform both your professional and personal life. Here’s why: 👉 Professionally: It fosters innovation, collaboration, and better decision-making. When we approach colleagues and ideas with curiosity, we uncover diverse perspectives and solutions. 👉 Personally: It deepens relationships and helps us navigate conflicts with empathy. Instead of reacting to someone’s words or actions, we can seek to understand the “why” behind them. Here are three practical strategies to cultivate curiosity and reduce judgment: 1️⃣ Ask Open-Ended Questions Replace assumptions with questions like, “What led you to that perspective?” or “Can you help me understand your thought process?” Questions create space for deeper dialogue and understanding. 2️⃣ Pause Before Reacting When you feel triggered or tempted to judge, take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself, “What else could be true here?” This brief pause can shift your mindset from judgment to exploration. 3️⃣ Challenge Your Biases Actively seek out different perspectives, whether through books, conversations, or experiences. Exposing yourself to new ideas helps you grow and appreciate the complexity of others’ viewpoints. The next time you find yourself ready to judge, try shifting your mindset. Ask, “What can I learn from this?” and "What's it like for the other person?" You will be surprised at the insights that come your way and at how much richer and rewarding your relationships become. What strategies do you use to stay curious and open-minded? #curiosity #connection #relationships

One of my biggest frictions when I bought my first farm store at 20 was the 45-minute commute to get there.     To a young, single Chad, that felt like wasted time. But instead of seeing it as a problem, I got curious...    My experience with farms, trailers, and country life helped me see I could pick up shavings from a chicken farm on my way home and dump them on the way to the store the next morning, ready for sale.     I had to invest in a dump trailer, but the extra $100 a day I made not only paid for the trailer, it created an expense-free commute.     That experience taught me something that’s stuck with me ever since: Friction is fuel.     When you approach challenges with curiosity, they often reveal hidden opportunities. The next step is to take action.     This mindset helped me in the store too.     I saw every friction my customers experienced as a chance to add value. I paid close attention to what they struggled with and took action by adding products that solved their problems.     The store started growing exponentially, catching the attention of Purina Mills, who made us the first-ever America’s Country Store—a milestone that came with a much better building (pictured below).     So, here's your takeaway: Friction isn't the enemy. If you approach it with curiosity and leverage your unique experiences to provide a solution, it becomes the fuel for exponential growth.    What friction are you currently facing that could become your next big opportunity?    #FrictionFuel #CareerJourney 

Embrace Your Inner Curiosity Last week I was asked what I'd go back and tell a younger version of myself. The obvious answers came to mind: chill out, pace yourself, work-life balance... But then I remembered my youthful energy and how unlikely a young me would be to actually listen to that advice. I thought deeper and realized the best thing I could tell a younger me would be to simply ask "why?" more often. Embrace curiosity. Approach every situation with an open desire to learn. Throughout my career, this mindset has been invaluable: • It helped me understand how systems truly work • It revealed why some things don't function as expected • It allowed me to appreciate others' expertise and learn from them • It created opportunities for continuous growth daily One painful lesson stands out: I once spent three months on an extremely manual task because I assumed there must be a reason it wasn't automated. I never questioned it until one day, I finally asked "why aren't we automating this?" Turns out, no one had considered it before. That single curious question saved countless hours moving forward. To those early in their careers: question assumptions. Ask why. Your curiosity isn't just acceptable—it's your superpower. What would you tell your younger self about curiosity in the workplace? #Curiosity #CareerAdvice #LearningMindset #ProfessionalGrowth

Unveiling the Science of Curiosity - A Journey of Discovery At our recent offsite, we were exploring the theme of going back to school and rekindling some of our childhood. I usually like to have intriguing conversations with my teams during offsites. As I explored what I should talk about at this offsite, I thought about the typical characteristics of being a child, and one thing that stood out to me was the topic of curiosity. Don’t you remember being curious about everything during your childhood? I do, and that’s why we decided to delve a bit deeper into it. Curiosity, defined as a strong desire to learn or know something, is the spark of excitement that stimulates and energizes us. But then, why aren’t we curious all the time? My research revealed that curiosity thrives in the gap between what we know and what we don’t - a space I like to call “The Knowledge Gap”. Curiosity peaks when we have just enough information to be intrigued, but not so much that the mystery is gone. Studies have also shown that people with higher levels of curiosity tend to learn and grow faster. The key, therefore, is to create that surprise element of “The Knowledge Gap”. Curiosity is primarily of two types - Perceptual (exploring new sensory experiences) and Epistemic (seeking knowledge through questions and research). The latter is critical for growth and development. But how do we cultivate it? The answer lies in science. Curiosity engages key brain regions: the prefrontal cortex (planning, decision-making), hippocampus (memory formation), and amygdala (emotion processing). Science shows that optimal learning occurs when these areas are activated. How can we then cultivate curiosity? I found the AIDA model effective for this: - Attention/Awareness - Interest - Desire - Action Often, we end up just stopping at attention or awareness, and then wonder why our initiatives didn’t work as intended. I found that a great way to introduce a bit of surprise is activating the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) - this engages the amygdala and sparks deep interest. Research indicates that social and physical pain activate similar brain regions, and therefore FOMO (a kind of social pain), is extremely effective. Next, combining novelty and What’s In It For Me (WIIFM) with FOMO activates the hippocampus, building desire. Finally, the prefrontal cortex kicks in, leading to action and decision making. In summary: Curiosity drives Learning Learning fosters Inclusion Inclusion leads to Innovation These elements foster an entrepreneurial culture where everyone thrives. I’m excited to experiment with this framework. Are you curious to explore it too? I’d love to hear your thoughts and the results of your experiments! Let’s be curious, together! #Curiosity #Learning #Inclusion #Innovation #Neuroscience #FOMO

And it’s 3 for 3! Tying up this week’s series on Curiosity on this beautiful Friday morning! Catch up with the posts on Monday & Wednesday on Curiosity & Leadership and Curiosity & Listening. And today - let’s tune in to Curiosity & Anxiety! **Curiosity: The Antidote to Anxiety in Uncertain Times** Let’s be real. We’ve all felt it! Those creeping doubts when the future seems uncertain. And now, imagine leading a diverse global team through a massive market shift. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, right? But what if instead of succumbing to that Anxiety, you leaned into Curiosity? Take a leader at a global manufacturing company. Faced with rapidly changing supply chains during a major global disruption, Anxiety starts to set in. Production timelines are uncertain. Key materials are stuck in different countries. And costs are spiraling. Should the leader panic OR can they instead adopt a Curious mindset? Rather than fixating on what’s going wrong, they can gather insights from their global teams. What innovative practices have smaller manufacturing hubs in Southeast Asia implemented? How are European partners adjusting their sourcing strategies? By focusing on what can be learned, the leader not only reduces their own Anxiety but also inspires the team to see the disruption as an opportunity to innovate. They explore new, decentralized supply chain models that are more agile, ultimately positioning the company to thrive in an unpredictable market. Psychologically, this shift from Anxiety to Curiosity activates the brain’s reward centers. As Dr. Judson Brewer’s research on Anxiety and Curiosity explains, Curiosity transforms our brain’s response to uncertainty. Instead of triggering our fight-or-flight response, Curiosity lights up the brain’s learning circuits, allowing us to approach uncertainty with a sense of discovery rather than dread. For leaders managing teams across different geographies and cultural contexts, Curiosity is not just a tool for personal growth—it’s a survival strategy. So the next time you feel Anxiety creeping in, whether due to market fluctuations, global supply chain issues, or cross-cultural complexities, I’d like to ask you to take a step back. Ask yourself, *What can I learn from this?* & *How can my team’s diverse perspectives unlock new possibilities?* Curiosity doesn’t eliminate uncertainty, but it reframes it. And in a world that’s always changing, that shift in perspective might just be the most powerful tool you have as a leader. I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s series on Curiosity. Whether you're leading a team from across the globe or tackling industry-wide challenges, Curiosity is your greatest asset. It fuels creativity, deepens your connections with others, and helps you navigate the uncertainties that come with the ever-changing world of leadership. So, go ahead—Get Curious and watch how it transforms not just your team, but your entire approach to Leadership. #CuriosityandAnxiety

The most valuable leaders I’ve worked with at Amazon aren’t the ones with all the answers, they’re the ones who never stop asking questions. “Learn and Be Curious” isn’t just a principle we talk about, it’s a mindset we live by. It shows up in hallway conversations, team meetings, and late-night whiteboard sessions where someone says, “What if we tried it this way?” Curiosity has driven some of the most impactful ideas I’ve seen come to life. As a senior HR leader, I’ve learned that curiosity is contagious. When leaders model it, teams start to feel safer exploring, challenging, and innovating. If there’s one habit I’d encourage any leader to cultivate—it’s staying relentlessly curious, no matter how experienced or senior you are. That’s where the real growth begins. #Leadership #Amazon #LearnAndBeCurious