Practices for inspiring innovation

- Let me tell you about my cat. His name is Shere Khan from that famous "Jungle Book." Shere Khan is naturally curious. He's quick to investigate everything. Of course, unlike us human beings, he does nap a lot and does not have a lot of tight project deadlines to meet. I believe human beings are also naturally curious. Unless we were curious, we wouldn't learn anything. And because you're sitting here watching this video, you my friend, have learned a lot. You've learned how to read and write. You've learned how to operate the device you're watching this on. You may have even learned a different language. Admit it, you are already curious. But unlike Shere Khan, you're likely busy with a lot of deliverables, which does not leave time for exploration. Here's the magic, friends. Being curious doesn't have to take extra time. It's more about how you show up. Here are some simple practices that my coaching clients use to drive innovative thinking. Start by practicing the mindsets of curious leaders. There's a complete list of these mindsets in the exercise file, Mindsets of Curious Leaders. You may even decide to print these out and keep them where you will see them and add your own. Make curiosity fun. Make a list of ideas or experiences that you're curious about. This could be an idea you want to learn more about, a new skill you want to develop, a place you want to visit, an experience you'd like to have. Then just have fun exploring. Slow down and create space in your schedule. We often go from meeting to meeting to meeting, barely having time to think. Create some open space in your schedule. Make a list of your go-to questions. Look through the questions in the exercise file Powerful Questions, and pick two to three favorite questions that you want to practice asking. Practice active listening. When you ask a question, allow for lots of time for people to answer without interrupting them. Teachers working with young children are often trained to wait eight seconds for a response to their questions. Try it, it's a long pause. Repeat in your own words what you've heard somebody say. It will help them feel understood. Exercise a different part of your brain. If you tend to do a lot of analytical work, then give your brain a rest and exercise a different part, like trying a yes-and brainstorming technique. There's a link to some examples in the Mindsets of Curious Leaders exercise file. Draw, doodle, or learn a new language or skill. Get curious about people different from you. Have lunch with someone you don't know too well or who you think is very different than you. Don't go in with an agenda other than just to get to know them. Next time you're waiting in line with someone, ask them some questions to get to know them. Create brainstorming time as part of your team meetings. Make room for experimentation and failure. What if we rewarded team members for creating smart experiments? When failure happened, what if instead of assigning blame, we focused on what we've learned? What are some other ways that you can think of to exercise your curiosity muscles? Remember to keep it fun because curiosity thrives in a fun environment.