The Coming New Year
By: Susan K. Wehrley, with quotes from BIZremedies' Members, Andis Company, Baptista's & Moore Oil
With the coming of the New Year and a whole new decade around the corner, most of us are wondering how to make it a better year financially, emotionally, physically, relationally and spiritually.
The Power of Curiosity helps us to uncover hidden possibilities we otherwise cannot imagine when we are stuck in the static condition of our minds and the preconceived notions we hold regarding the world around us. During difficult economic times, it’s easy for companies and individuals to have foggy thinking and assume their business and their personal lives should be suffering like most appear to be. However, this thinking is limiting, instead of asking ourselves, “How might I still be prosperous in this recession?” A company who has taken this curious approach who has worked with Organizational Development Consultant, Susan K. Wehrley, is Andis Company. Andis' Executive Vice President, Matt Andis, says "We tend to get mired down in routines and fail to really look at all areas of opportunities. As we move through our goals and planning stages it is widely encouraged to be curious and ask those tough and maybe taboo questions, questions that we may typically shy away from. This curious form of "Ask-Leading" has pushed us to a higher level in all aspects of our demanding business." A mere question of “How might I make this a more prosperous year?” or “How might I enjoy life more and still be successful?” or “How might I enjoy more connected relationships?” can bring us ways of thinking we never had before.
So if it is so simple, why do we resist being curious? Being curious leads us to the unknown for a while until we are able to obtain the awareness and information we desire. This mid-way place can be scary, as it requires humility. We have to believe that we do not know it all if we’re to be open to discovering that which is still foreign to us. For instance Moore Oil Company recognized they didn’t know it all when they had their company take a formal online assessment. COO of Moore Oil, Andrew Haag, says assessments are "beneficial because it's good to get curious about what my employees think about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the company before setting goals. This way input is considered and they have a sense of buy-in to the direction of the company." Living with a curious mind allows us to realize that the more we know the more we have to learn. When we live with a curious mind, we no longer feel shame about not knowing certain things or understanding them only with hindsight. We realize that even though we have reached a certain level of wisdom, we will continue to discover truth and learn more through our life experiences. Nan Gardetto, Owner of Baptista's Bakery, has recognized the importance of continuous learning and curiosity and says, "I believe curiosity is paramount to being successful. One way we use curiosity in our annual strategic planning is to get curious and ask our customers what their own goals are for the coming New Year and how our company might help in achieving them. By being curious, and not assuming we know what our customer needs, we have a better chance of offering up effective solutions and aligning our own goals with the needs of our customers." Therefore, instead of feeling shame about discovering something we did not know, we can say to ourselves, “Of course I didn’t know, I am always curious and learning!”
Apply this technique to all aspects of your life:
1. Relationships—what makes them tick? What gets them ticked off?
2. Business Strategies—what works? What doesn’t?
3. Yourself—why do you say you want something but don’t follow-through?
4. What does your heart and soul believe it needs to accomplish this year?
5. How can you let go of mere activity and busyness?
