Are you stuck in your thinking or are you willing to be open and curious?
This past weekend my adult daughter, my father-in-law, and I sat around discussing perspectives on a few prominent topics. After the round-and-round conversation continued to be stuck, I asked about our willingness to be curious and look at other perspectives than our own.
Can we accept that there may be things we don’t see or don’t understand? Is it possible that there is more complexity requiring additional inputs or conversations?
While no one’s mind was changed that day, there was movement and consideration.
I bring this same type of question in working with clients and organizations; “what can we be more curious about? What might we be missing?”
Whatever challenge you’re thinking about, can you ask more questions? Can you place yourself in another’s perspective?
When we stay stuck in our thinking and approach, we limit ourselves and our solutions to problems.
Besides asking more questions, here are a few ways to expand your curiosity:
* Get out of your comfort zone
* Seek out new experiences
* Connect with others
* Read from different sources
* Travel, when possible
But start today by asking, “What don’t I know and who can I ask?”
P.S. My kid sent me a message the next day thanking me for instilling a sense of curiosity in her. I'll take it!
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