Remaining curious is crucial for the advancement of humanity and innovation. Children are said to ask an average of 300 question a day however by the time we turn eighteen this number has significantly reduced and we then believe the adage;
‘curiosity killed the cat.’ – unknown
However, for any level of self-development and innovation, you will need to improve your skills, abilities and your relationships with people. All these require that you have an interest or develop curiosity in people, your environment and new ways of doing things.
When people show an interest in you, you, in turn, tend not to forget them. The advantage of showing true interest in people is that doors and opportunities open to the blood flow of business is networks which is fueled by interest in people. Below are some ways of building such interest and business networks;
a. Read; books take you out of your normal environment to places you may not have been before and new ways of thinking and being you have considered. This could be just what you need to achieve heights you would not have thought of. The choice of authors should guide what you read; people who are respectable and preferably have achieved more than you are likely to inspire you to new levels of achievement, just like time spent in good company.
b. Going to networking and industry events; Business networking events give an opportunity to meet like-minded people and industry leaders. It is said if you want to get ahead you need to change your friends – hang out with people who are greater than you. You will not meet greater people if you continue to hang in the same social circles.
c. Remember people’s names and their interest; There are different tools to help you with this however even if you need to take a notebook to networking events and skillfully take notes, it is well worth the effort in the long run. A good network base is crucial for business as you are able to build a database of reliable resource persons for business.
d. Referring or connecting people; When you take the time to refer people you are able to consider their interests or abilities. This ensures you are able to remember the people you connect. Other than this they will be able to do the same for you future as the currency of business is networks.
e. Ask why; Do this with both process and people. Results provide a great measure of success process gets you there. If you do not ask why you will not get a good understanding of a process that has led to good results. Do this with your own business and when analyzing the performance of other businesses.
Often people assume that if they are the boss then everyone around them ought to understand them. To get the best out of your team, you equally need to understand them. You can do this by asking why they act as they do. Focus on their shortcomings and you are not able to bring out the best of them. This, in turn, hinders your own and overall business performance.
f. Travel; this is a fast way to learn, scan for business opportunities and view things from a different perspective. It is a source of new experiences and understanding that you may not get in your environment.
Trust these tips get you started on ways you can get your curiosity back. What has been your experience??
