Several years ago my mother and I were talking and I stated that I was curious about how cities worked. She said to me, "Dwight is there anything you are not curious about?" I paused for a moment with what I know had to be a quizzical look on my face and said, "No, I actually am curious about everything." I am curious how things work, I am curious about their history, I am curious if there is a way to do something different or better. It has been that way my whole life. I am curious.
Curiosity is the mark of explorers.
Recently, I met a man. A good man. As we talked and worked together I realized that he was consistent, thorough and complete in everything he did. But he was not curious. At first I was surprised. Then I was frustrated. He was good at what he did but he was not curious. What was wrong with him?
Wrong assumption on my part. This man is great with details. All the details are always done right and well. Not everyone needs to be an explorer.
I describe this man to make a contrast. Sometimes thinking beyond what is now is necessary. In order to do that one needs to consider, ask questions and dream about what is not yet. That takes curiosity. It means going out on a limb. Thinking outside the box.(whatever that really means!)
A couple of years ago my wife and I went to see the movie Moneyball starring Brad Pitt. There was a scene when Brad Pitt's character realized he had to think differently if he was going to put a winning baseball team on the field for the Oakland A's. He did not have the money to compete with the Yankees, the Red Sox and the other big city teams.
His curiosity to find a new way lead him down a path that the baseball establishment had never considered before. The baseball "experts" thought he was crazy. There was no map for the direction he was considering. He was curious, he took a chance and in the process he found a new way forward.
Where is your curiosity leading you? What are you considering that your organization has not done before?