THE POWER OF CURIOSITY
by Mattison Grey

First, I want to acknowledge you for your curiosity in reading this article. Just the fact that you are reading this means you are more curious than most. Curiosity is a powerful force, but what is it? Really….. What is curiosity?

Try this:

* One a scale of 1 to 10, how curious are you?
* Who is more curious: an adult or a two year old child?
* So again, in comparison to a 2-year-old: how curious are you?
* Another way to get a handle on your curiosity is to ask: On a scale of 1-10, how often do you get what you really want? That is a measure of your true curiosity.

WHAT IS THE POWER OF CURIOSITY?

Curiosity is the most essential component of learning and communication. Without curiosity, we simply do not listen to other people. In the absence of curiosity, we are unable to take in new information. If we are not receptive to another person’s communication, what are the chances we are truly connecting with them, or being able to produce great results with them?
Consider de Geus' Law of Learning: that the only sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to learn faster than your competitors.

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." (letter to Curt Seeling, March 1952) - Albert Einstein

Curiosity is unique. It is a form of a human brilliance. Unfortunately, most learning systems don’t focus on it. We are, however, building a coaching and training business built entirely on curiosity. We believe that being curious and eliciting curiosity will be am imperative skill for the leaders of the future. Right now the only profession that fosters curiosity is coaching.

When you elicit curiosity in people, you are coaching them. Curiosity is one of the most powerful coaching tools, and is available to everyone, not just professional coaches. It is completely possible to foster this quality in others. Once you learn to do it, you will be twice, even three times more effective in your communication and your ability to learn. Being curious can be your secret weapon. It is also one of the most important skills for leadership. In the moment you get curious about other people, they get curious about you. If you want to be a leader, you must be able to create curiosity. Why? Before people will follow you, they need to be curious about what will happen with a new course of direction.

Curiosity is very fragile. If right now you are asking yourself, “How can I get more curious?” you are on the right track. Sometimes being clear about the opposite of something helps us to understand it. What is the opposite of curiosity? It is Familiarity. And familiarity breeds contempt. If you have contempt in any of your systems: work groups, family, personal relationships, you have a problem and the then the only real solution is curiosity.

For most of us, our natural curiosity is educated out of us. When you go to school, it isn’t long before you figure out that when the teacher asks a question she is looking for the right answer. When you are in a job, it appears to you that you are being paid to be right. To have the answers. So that is what you do, you spend you time being right. But is that what you are really being paid for? Does your company want you to have the answers or do they really want you to innovate? The problem is you cannot do both. Innovation requires curiosity: being right is steeped in familiarity.

In any business environment, curious people have the power to transform --
 Motivation into Inspiration
 Judgment into Results
 Managing into Leading

I invite you to spend some time this week noticing:
when do you have to be right,
and when are you just curious?

What to do to get ahead in the business world? Learn the Coaching Tool of curiosity. The MBA is dead as a strategy for success. As people begin to be less tolerant of poor management, lackluster leadership, and manipulative selling, the new fast track for ambitious results-driven professions is coaching tools. Adding a few coaching tools to your tools box can make a huge difference is your results with people and your income. Coaching skills are the key skills needed for success in the of the 21st century. How sharp are yours?

Upcoming Courses:
Reality Selling

Learn to Sell with ease and grace in a way that is respectful and authentic

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Passion Smashin!

What good is your calling if they are not calling you?

If you love what you do, if your business lights you up, you wish you could attract more clients—but you’re confused about marketing and you just hate to sell, then it’s time you shifted the way you think about getting clients..

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For more information, go to www.GreystoneGuides.com .
Copyright © 2005 Mattison Grey. All rights reserved.