Are You Being Curious?

One thing that sometimes stops people in their tracks when they are working on their Vision or revamping their belief system is their resistance to curiosity.

If your beliefs are deeply ingrained, your curiosity may be hampered. Being curious doesn't always mean you have to change, although it can be the portal to change and we all know change can be scary. Your beliefs may rail against change because, as I mentioned last time, your identity is tied to your beliefs.

So I'm encouraging you today to be curious - simply curious. I have found when I add a bit of curiosity to my conversations and thought process, the whole tone changes. Instead of coming across as demanding or disapproving, the conversation flows into a place of interest which can lead to understanding - even when that conversation is with your Self.

About a year ago, a client of mine said he was dreading lunch with his boss. They have monthly lunch meetings to go over the performance of the company's customer service reps and even though my client's work as a lower level CSR manager is impeccable, it still made him nervous to sit with his boss for an hour over a meal talking about what could be done better in the department. I suggested he put himself in curious mode, first by challenging himself: I'm curious if I can really do this, and then by approaching the lunch conversation the same way.

I recommended he clear his mind of any preconceived ideas about what his boss *might* say and, instead, be open to the possibilities of it being productive, informative and fun. Leave the judgments at the door and approach it this time with a genuine beginner mind.

When his boss would make a statement about something, my client said "I'm curious what you mean by that. Tell me more!"

My client scored big time. His boss was so impressed with his candor and curiosity that he opened a new area of their customer service department to discover what their customers really liked and didn't like about their services and products. Instead of just waiting for complaints to come in, they took a curious, pro-active approach and contacted customers so they could "tell them more." And my client was made head of that department. His curiosity paid off. He has trained his staff to be curious and open-minded to the needs of their customers which, to date, has cut complaints in half and increased product sales by 35%. Not bad for being a curious guy!

Where can you be curious today? While working on your Vision and Dreams, be curious with yourself. Re-visit those areas that you previously thought were cut and dried and carved in stone. Be curious about them - look at all the possibilities. They are there - you simply have to be curious and open to discovering them.

And note that all the newsletters are now available at my website so you can review any time you like!

Until next time...