It All Starts With a Simple Question
Consider an example: A group of individuals is stuck in a particular methodology. They regularly conduct their meetings and find solutions to problems with the exact suggestions that the team has made before. One day, someone leans in and simply asks the question: What if we did it differently?
This question opens brand-new ways of thinking, and the team can see options moving forward that they didn’t consider before. I can immediately feel the energy shift from ordinary and expected to alive and vibrant. This is the power of curiosity in the workplace; it is an energy source that takes ordinary teams and supercharges them into high-performing teams.
It is backed up with research. Gallup recently found that employees who feel encouraged to ask questions and explore ideas are three times more engaged at work. Engagement leads to higher performance, better collaboration, and more innovation!
Curiosity as the Hidden Driver of High-Performing Teams
Successful teams are built not only from skill sets or experience, they are built through having curiosity. When team members are genuinely curious, they raise the bar above “good enough” and look for better paths forward in the work process.
An article from the Harvard Business Review identified that curiosity reduces conflict in groups and produces higher performance because when a person is curious, they are trying to understand something rather than defending their thoughts about that something. For example, a person on a team sees a potential weakness in a project or plan because they want to help the team be better, not because they are trying to attack the direction the team is pursuing. This curiosity creates a mindset of continuous improvement.
The Link Between Curiosity and Innovation
There are often spurts of newness and original thinking that flow out of curiosity, not following a code. The Braintrust at Pixar is a well-known example of this. Directors will bring their best idea and ask for open-ended feedback driven by curiosity, not solutions to fix the problem in their presentation. The culture of inquiry and following the thread of curiosity is how some of Pixar’s biggest originals, Toy Story and Finding Nemo, were visually developed.
According to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report, organizations that prioritize human capabilities like curiosity and empathy are better positioned to drive innovation. Curiosity generates “what if” thinking, leading to innovation and breakthroughs. In high-change industries, innovation powered by curiosity in the workplace is what separates the market leader from falling behind.
How Curiosity Builds Stronger Collaboration
Imagine a team stuck in its groove, holding meetings and solving problems the same old way. Then one day, someone motions for the shared attention of the peers and says, “What if we tried it differently?”
A small spark of curiosity can turn the environment from predictable to lively. Curiosity can instantly transform an average team into a high-performing one.
This is not just speculation. Gallup reports that employees who can question and challenge how things are done are three times as engaged at work. And engagement is related to better collaboration, enhanced innovation, and performance for everyone.
Curiosity and Leadership: A Catalyst for Growth
Leaders establish the tone for any culture. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, changed the company by changing the culture from a “know-it-all” mindset to a “learn-it-all” mindset. He modeled curiosity to encourage the teams to question, share ideas, and step out of comfort zones risk-free.
Research indicates that leaders who model curiosity can enhance team engagement and creativity, fostering a more dynamic and innovative work environment. When employees observe a leader participating in curiosity, there’s a feeling of safety to explore curiosity themselves. That ripple effect turns curiosity from being just a personal trait to a cultural advantage.
Overcoming Barriers to Curiosity at Work
Curiosity certainly doesn’t always thrive. Hierarchical structures, excessive workloads, and a fear of being wrong can hinder curiosity. Within some organizations, employees may be reluctant to ask questions for fear it might make them look unintelligent.
However, when organizations shift the framing of mistakes to opportunities for learning, curiosity flourishes. A culture that embraces questions sends a message to employees that their voice is valuable, ultimately promoting even more creativity and confidence. The greatest barrier to curiosity at work does not stem from a lack of capacity; rather, it is one of the punishments for being curious and exploring one’s ideas.
While curiosity drives performance, it’s equally important to watch for subtle signs of burnout you might be overlooking, as overworked teams often struggle to stay creative and engaged.
Practical Ways to Nurture Curiosity in Teams
Integrating curiosity into the work of everyday life does not take a sweeping culture change; small changes can have a big effect:
- Rather than asking for a yes/no answer in a meeting, have someone ask an open-ended question.
- Take time to celebrate an experiment in class, even if it did not work out as planned.
- Consider cross-training to reactivate employees to explore positions that are outside their expertise.
- Promote creativity, curiosity, and taking risks with the same recognition as productivity.
In Google’s 2004 IPO letter, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin stated that employees could spend 20% of their paid time working on personal side projects they believed would benefit the company. The company chose to act on the idea that acting on curiosity can help develop tools that shaped the digital world: Gmail and Google Maps.
Curiosity in the Workplace Turns Ordinary Teams Into Extraordinary Ones
Success starts with a question: “What if we tried something different?” and the answer is typically enhanced growth, innovation, and collaborative behaviors.
Curiosity at the workplace is not merely a soft skill to have; it’s a competitive differentiator. Teams that cultivate curiosity are more flexible and inventive and create new ideas for high-performing businesses to stay ahead. The true objective of building high-performance teams is not simply about working harder but cultivating curiosity every single day!
For more insights on how technology is shaping modern workplaces, explore our article on generative AI in the workplace and the secret tools driving productivity.
