Cultivating the Power of Curiosity in Professional Practice

Curiosity is the drive to seek information and explore ideas and perspectives in order to learn something new. It is fundamentally tied to how people make sense and draw meaning from the world and may be viewed as a knowledge network-building process. There is increasing acknowledgement that being curious can bring significant advantages, particularly in jobs characterised by high demands for learning. Cultivating curiosity helps foster open environments that inspire new ideas, innovations, efficiencies and adaptive behaviours. We can enable this by providing sufficient novelty and complexity in our systems and teaching, and by building deeper connections with stakeholders. This article briefly examines how and why we should cultivate this trait in our work and workplaces.