Page 108 - Harvard Business Review, Sep/Oct 2018

SPOTLIGHT THE BUSINESS CASE FOR CURIOSITY

curiosity is triggered, we are less likely coworkers, and the information helped behaviors at work, such as whether they
to fall prey to confirmation bias (looking them in their jobs—for instance, it boosted had made constructive suggestions for
for information that supports our beliefs their creativity in addressing customers’ implementing solutions to pressing
rather than for evidence suggesting we are concerns. organizational problems.
wrong) and to stereotyping people (making My own research confirms that When we are curious, we view tough
broad judgments, such as that women encouraging people to be curious generates situations more creatively. Studies have
or minorities don’t make good leaders). workplace improvements. For one study I found that curiosity is associated with
Curiosity has these positive effects because recruited about 200 employees working in less defensive reactions to stress and less
it leads us to generate alternatives. various companies and industries. Twice a aggressive reactions to provocation. We
More innovation and positive changes week for four weeks, half of them received also perform better when we’re curious.
in both creative and noncreative jobs. a text message at the start of their workday In a study of 120 employees I found that
Consider this example: In a field study that read, “What is one topic or activity you natural curiosity was associated with better
INSEAD’s Spencer Harrison and colleagues are curious about today? What is one thing job performance, as evaluated by their
asked artisans selling their goods through you usually take for granted that you want direct bosses.
an e‑commerce website several questions to ask about? Please make sure you ask a Reduced group conflict. My research
aimed at assessing the curiosity they few ‘Why questions’ as you engage in your found that curiosity encourages members of
experience at work. After that, the work throughout the day. Please set aside a group to put themselves in one another’s
participants’ creativity was measured a few minutes to identify how you’ll shoes and take an interest in one another’s
by the number of items they created and approach your work today with these ideas rather than focus only on their own
listed over a two‑week period. A one‑unit questions in mind.” perspective. That causes them to work
increase in curiosity (for instance, a score The other half (the control group) together more effectively and smoothly:
of 6 rather than 5 on a 7‑point scale) was received a message designed to trigger Conflicts are less heated, and groups
associated with 34% greater creativity. reflection but not raise their curiosity: achieve better results.
In a separate study, Harrison and “What is one topic or activity you’ll More-open communication and
his colleagues focused on call centers, engage in today? What is one thing you better team performance. Working
where jobs tend to be highly structured usually work on or do that you’ll also with executives in a leadership program at
and turnover is generally high. They complete today? Please make sure you Harvard Kennedy School, my colleagues
asked incoming hires at 10 organizations think about this as you engage in your and I divided participants into groups of five
to complete a survey that, among other work throughout the day. Please set aside or six, had some groups participate in a task
things, measured their curiosity before a few minutes to identify how you’ll that heightened their curiosity, and then
they began their new jobs. Four weeks approach your work today with these asked all the groups to engage in a simula‑
in, the employees were surveyed about questions in mind.” tion that tracked performance. The groups
various aspects of their work. The results After four weeks, the participants in the whose curiosity had been heightened
showed that the most curious employees first group scored higher than the others performed better than the control groups
sought the most information from on questions assessing their innovative because they shared information more
openly and listened more carefully.
► Idea In Brief
TWO BARRIERS TO CURIOSITY
► THE PROBLEM ► WHY THIS MATTERS ► THE REMEDY Despite the well‑established benefits of
Leaders say they value employees Curiosity improves engagement Leaders should encourage
who question or explore things, and collaboration. Curious people curiosity in themselves and others curiosity, organizations often discourage
but research shows that they make better choices, improve by making small changes to the it. This is not because leaders don’t see
largely suppress curiosity, out of their company’s performance, design of their organization and its value. On the contrary, both leaders
fear that it will increase risk and and help their company adapt the ways they manage their and employees understand that curios‑
undermine efficiency. to uncertain market conditions employees. Five strategies can ity creates positive outcomes for their
and external pressures. guide them.
companies. In the survey of more than
3,000 employees mentioned earlier, 92%

50 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2018