In our daily lives and business interactions, we’re often bombarded by strong opinions. Leaders “speak louder,” believing volume equates to conviction. Social media feeds can become echo chambers or battlegrounds. It often feels like many operate with a False Consensus Bias; an overestimation of how much others share their exact viewpoint. This can stifle productive dialogue, hinder collaboration, and prevent genuine understanding.

But what if there’s a simple, powerful antidote? It lies in revisiting a well-known proverb: “Curiosity killed the cat.” Most people stop there, associating curiosity with risk. But the full proverb offers a different perspective: “…but satisfaction brought it back.” It’s the satisfaction that comes from learning, understanding, and connecting through genuine curiosity that holds the key to navigating our complex world more effectively.

The Power of Curiosity to Transform Interactions

Curiosity, a strong desire to know or learn something, is the antidote to the negativity and entrenched positions we often see. By consciously cultivating curiosity within our Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) and in our leadership approach, we can:

• Challenge our own false consensus bias.
• Reduce the “volume” and increase the substance of our conversations.
• Learn more about each other and the diverse sources of our ideas and opinions.
• Change the dynamic from confrontation to collaboration, moving towards alignment.

As a fractional CIO, fostering curiosity is essential when tackling complex IT challenges. We need to be curious about underlying business needs before proposing tech solutions, curious about different stakeholder perspectives on a new system, and curious about emerging technologies that could offer new opportunities.

Exercising Your Curiosity Muscle: Practical Steps

Like any skill, curiosity needs practice. Here are some ways to strengthen it:

1. Learn About a New Subject (Broaden Your Horizons):
   • Dedicate a few minutes daily to explore something new, even if it’s outside your immediate professional domain. Wonder how a different industry solves a common problem? Curious about a historical event or a scientific breakthrough? The internet (from curated feeds like Feedly to educational videos on YouTube, or structured courses on platforms like Coursera/Skillshare) offers endless avenues. The goal isn’t expertise, but expanded awareness.
2. Get To Know More About People (Practice Empathetic Inquiry):
   • Deepen your understanding of colleagues, clients, and team members. This involves:
     • Asking open-ended questions.
     • Showing genuine interest in their responses and experiences.
     • Exploring their interests, motivations, and challenges.
   • In sales and relationship management (as highlighted by Harvey Mackay’s “Mackay 66“), curiosity is paramount. The more you genuinely understand others, the stronger your relationships and collaborations will be.
3. Assume You Might Be Wrong (Embrace Humility):
   • This can be uncomfortable, especially if you’ve achieved success. But you can’t be right all the time. In many situations, your perspective is, at best, partially complete. Consciously approach disagreements or differing viewpoints with the mindset: “What if I’m the one missing something here?”
   • Instead of trying to convince the other side, ask them to help you understand their position. Listen openly. This act alone can defuse tension, reveal overlooked information or biases (yours or theirs), and lead to much better, more inclusive solutions.
4. Explore Contrasting Opinions (Safely – The “Controversial Opinion Game” Concept):
   • Sean Blanda once suggested a game for trusted friends: share a controversial opinion (e.g., “I think traditional office structures are obsolete” or “I believe AI will replace more jobs than it creates; discuss”). The rules: no arguing, only asking questions to understand why the person feels that way.
   • This “consensus-busting” exercise, when done with trusted peers in a safe environment, forces you to exercise deep curiosity about views different from your own. The value is in learning to explore, not to convert.

What’s Next

In a world often characterized by “loud” opinions and entrenched positions, many ideas are neither 100% right nor 100% wrong. The best path forward, the most innovative solutions, and the strongest team alignments are usually found somewhere in the middle, discovered through genuine inquiry. As an SMB leader, your ability to foster and model curiosity can be a profound catalyst for progress, helping your entire organization “Succeed Sooner.”

Don’t just let curiosity kill the cat; actively seek the deep satisfaction and understanding that brings it back, stronger and wiser. Be curious.

Is your SMB fostering a culture of curiosity to overcome biases and drive better decision-making, especially in how you approach technology and innovation? If you’re looking for a strategic partner who brings a curious, questioning mindset to your IT challenges, let’s connect with Succeed Sooner Consulting.