How Curiosity Can Help Organisations Succeed During Change

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.