Are You Curious?

If you’re like most people, you dread networking. I was speaking to one of my coaching clients about this very topic. And like most people, this is an area she wants to improve. Logically she understands you can’t know everything and that she needs to be able to leverage her network when needed. However that doesn’t change how she feels about networking.

Networking is a necessary evil to her as it is to a lot of my clients. When she’s at a business function she looks for the exit doors, not in case of a fire or some other emergency but in case she’s simply had enough and needs to exit rather quickly. Networking is exhausting for her and she prefers to get it over with quickly.

We began talking about what distinguishes those that excel at networking and those that don’t. It’s curiosity! People who are curious about the world around them and approach networking as an adventure to meet new people are better at networking than others.

Do you remember the Curious George books, the animated series and the board games of your childhood? I do. Or maybe you’re tuning in to PBS now and watching along with your children. I looked up the premise of this beloved series and the protagonist, the animated monkey named George is described as “an inquisitive and wonderful creature whose enthusiasm often gets the best of him.”

For more insight, let’s look at the first verse of the Curious George theme song:

“You never do know what’s around the bend
A big adventure or a brand new friend
When you’re curious, like Curious George”

George explores the world around him with wonder and intrigue. Sure there’s a little danger around the corner but George doesn’t let this slow him down. He indulges his natural curiosity and approaches every day as a new adventure of discovery.

My client and I renamed the area of development from networking to her “Curiosity Campaign”. As we began discussing an upcoming company event where she could be more curious she actually got excited, you could hear it in her voice. This was no longer a chore or something to dread but a fun and entertaining opportunity to uncover more about her colleagues and the executives at her company.

Let’s look at how Curious George would navigate a “Curiosity Event” (aka networking):

1. Explore! Look at all the possibilities, take everything in. Think of this as a new and wondrous place with interesting people who you just have to get to know.
2. Observe! Notice patterns, e.g. who talks to whom. What is their body language; approachable, friendly or closed-off. What do you notice? What are your perceptions about the people around you? How can you validate them? Use this as an opportunity to learn more about someone else.
3. Discover! Be inquisitive and ask questions. Don’t worry about saying the right thing. Do your homework and be prepared with three questions you can ask of someone else.
4. Be curious! Have fun and laugh at yourself.

How would Curious George approach this event? He would jump in, feet first, and pick the key executives he should get to know better! Your homework assignment is to search out three people you want to get to know better at the next company event and get curious.

What better way to expand your network than to follow in the footsteps of the world’s most curious monkey!

Sage Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company, provides coaching, teambuilding and assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including; leadership development, empowering teams, communications, lasting impressions, personal branding and building a coaching culture for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.

Contact us today to discover how your organization can get the most through improved productivity, efficiency and direct impact to your bottom line, while leaders gain powerful insight, crystallize opportunities for growth and fine tune their strengths, enabling them to make the greatest impact. You can contact Shelley Hammell directly at shammell@thesagealliance.com.