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Everyone has heard the proverb ‘curiosity killed the cat’ which warns of the dangers of unnecessary investigation and experimentation. The phrase, despite being well over a century old, is still commonly said and is often used to stop people from asking unwanted questions.
Interestingly, this notion is reflected in the management models of many organisations across the globe, where information and instructions flow from top to bottom; managers are expected to hold all the knowledge and employees who ask too many questions can be perceived as an irritant.
In fact, according to Notion’s recent poll concerning organisational culture across more than 500 organisations, 79% report that they are still ‘very’ or ‘mostly’ command & control led. But, in today’s unpredictable and uncertain times, can organisations really afford to subdue curiosity?
It’s hard to overstate the unprecedented pace of change that every organisation faces in today’s VUCA world.
The future is more unpredictable than ever before and this has already caused many organisations to strain (and break) under the pressure.
According to Dominic Ashley-Timms, Managing Director at Notion, “in order to survive this onslaught of change, organisations need to displace typical organisational dynamics and traditional models of management with a more agile way of existing that increases the organisation’s ability to respond rapidly to change.”
This call for a new style of management led Notion to develop STAR®, an ‘Operational Coaching’ model that centres on leaders and managers taking an ‘Enquiry-Led Approach’.
Dominic continues, “we found that when people adopt an ‘Operational Coaching’ style of leadership (a term Notion coined to capture the ‘everyday’ application of this style of management), they begin to ‘tune in’ to the opportunities around them and are able to ask better and more insightful questions.
This in turn contributes to a culture which invites curiosity, debate and new dialogue, and when organisations can begin to embed that as a core and valued behaviour not only do people begin to change how they communicate, they find new ways of contributing and collaborating to drive the organisation forward.
This fundamental shift in the way that people behave, stimulates a response to ongoing change that is altogether more proactive and can massively improve engagement, productivity and performance levels.
In our latest white paper we explore how curiosity - the art of asking better questions - is a much needed and valuable skill for organisations wanting to stay agile while navigating unprecedented levels of change. To find out more, please download your free copy of ‘How To Create Organisational Agility In Times Of Rapid Change’.
1Notion (2015) ‘What is Coaching?’ Poll <www.BusinessCoaching. co.uk>
For more information about how to develop higher levels of curiosity in your organisation, Download our white paper or call us for an informal chat on +44(0) 1926 889 885.'
