Curiosity is the fuel of creativity, discovery and innovation. As we go through our formal education, a subtle but insidious shift occurs. The open-ended questions that we relentlessly asked as infants are gradually replaced by a demand for definitive answers. We are rewarded for knowing, not for asking. The systematic suppression of curiosity stifles individual potential but also cripples creativity. The pursuit of “knowing” can be the enemy of discovery.
Too often in the corporate world curiosity is discouraged. The emphasis is on efficiency and productivity rather than questioning and experimentation. The prevailing mantra is “focus on what you know works,” rather than “explore what you don’t know.” We are encouraged to specialize, to master a specific skill set, and to remain within the comfortable confines of our expertise. But often the most interesting ideas and the most fruitful innovations lie in the unknown, the unexplored and the unexpected.
The “Curiosity Hour” concept s based on a well-known business philosophy: dedicating protected time for employees to explore intriguing questions, challenge assumptions, and pursue projects outside their immediate duties. It is a development of previous initiatives such as brainstorms, “20% Time,” “Innovation Sprints,” or “Hackathons”. These ideas are built on the principle that self-directed exploration generates employee engagement and is a potent catalyst for breakthrough innovation.
How Curiosity Hours Work
A diverse group is asked to join a Curiosity Hour meeting. They should be from different departments with different levels of experience, skill and seniority. There is a topic for the meeting with a broad but important question such as “How can we double our sales revenue?” or “How can we attract and retain top talent?” Each participant is asked to prepare two questions (related broadly to the topic) that they are curious about. They are encouraged to ask searching and provocative questions.
The meeting is run by a facilitator whose job is to encourage productive discussion and manage the meeting. They set the guidelines and then ask someone to start. That person might say, “I am curious to know this. What would happen if we made our produce much easier to assemble and use?” This leads to a discussion in the group in which ideas are developed and discussed using divergent rather than critical thinking. It might lead to some follow-up action items. Then on to the next person who starts, ‘I am curious to know this……..”
The facilitator keeps the meeting on track and summarizes the main ideas and action points. It is essential that the meeting is held in an atmosphere of psychological safety, where questioning conventional wisdom or asking what might be called silly questions in pursuit of a new idea is not punished but treated as a valuable learning opportunity. No criticism of the initial curiosity question is allowed – everybody must build on it. It is vital that senior figures in the room do not sneer, criticise or close down discussions.
How is a Curiosity Hour different from a brainstorm? A brainstorm (or ideation meeting) starts by generating a large number of ideas. The Curiosity Hour starts with one provocative question which the group explores to see where it might lead. Both of these types of meeting can lead to radical and useful ideas but they take different routes to get there.
By implementing psychological safety, having good facilitators, choosing diverse groups and effective follow-up, you can turn “Curiosity Hours” into a powerful, sustainable engine for growth and adaptation.
Based on a chapter in The Art of Unexpected Solutions by Paul Sloane
