Curious
LEADING SELF
You seek and integrate ideas, information and different perspectives.
Curiosity looks like being open-minded to new ways of doing things, or exploring the pros and cons of different options when making decisions.
When you are curious, you…
Display curiosity by exploring a variety of ideas and solutions
Think objectively
Quick tips
Look for learning moments in all work activities.
Ask questions and listen to answers when interacting with others to build your understanding.
Approach unfamiliar situations as opportunities to learn and explore new ideas.
Ask others for input and advice when you’re facing a new challenge or working on something unfamiliar.
Stop and think about the perspective of others when working collaboratively.
Practice this behaviour
Here are some ways you can practice this behaviour:
Take on a tricky problem or issue that the organisation hasn’t yet solved. Come up with some unconventional solutions.
Examine internal barriers to achieving short- and long-term organisational priorities.
Host an ideas lab and invite people from across the organisation to discuss contemporary business issues.
Partner with private sector organisations and observe how they discover and integrate new ideas and solve problems.
Seek an assignment in a new area that has no established procedures yet. Experiment with approaches to find the best way of working.
What can hold you back
Here are some things that could get in the way of developing this behaviour:
Staying busy ‘doing things’. Instead, make time for in-depth thinking and analysis.
Putting too much confidence in your own judgement. Acknowledge your mistakes and admit when you don’t know the solution or answer.
Seeing things in ‘black and white’. Look beyond what’s right in front of you to see things in a different way.
Thinking narrowly about the impact of your decisions. Think about the the practical implications and the reactions of those affected.
Making decisions without awareness of common biases. To overcome unconscious bias, try following a framework.
Related learning
Related programmes
