Curious Questions Elevate Engagement
By Terre Short
Last year, I wrote an article that invoked Curious George and tied curiosity to Emotional Intelligence. Since then, I have exercised my own curiosity in exploring neuromindfulness and positive intelligence, both bodies of work that lean heavily on neuroscience. The irony for me is that geeking out on neuroscience is the learning that’s strengthening my brain’s neuroplasticity, though I may revisit learning Italian as well.
In the past decade, the science of how our brains work has become understandable to non-scientists, like me. Well, at least some basics. Curiosity, which wanes as we age, is being studied for how it informs our neural pathways, and even AI neural networks. I intend to stay ahead of AI (artificial intelligence) by continually learning and evolving. This leads to intentionally being more curious, which in turn elevates engagement – mine and those I interact with.
No one would deny employee engagement is a retention strategy and results in better contributions such as higher sales, greater customer service, and improved productivity. Much is written annually about this and various tactics for improving employee engagement are embraced. I have a simple solution that serves both the leader and the direct report: curiosity.
Being more curious will boost your brain function and connect you with your direct reports in a more meaningful way. It’s pretty easy to implement – ask better questions! I have sorted the suggested questions into three categories: general knowledge gathering, deeper inquiry, and connecting to you personally. A few samples are offered below and the full template is one of our free resources on the TLC website.
General Knowledge:
- What are you most proud of?
- What happened today that made you laugh?
- How do you spend your time outside of work?
Deeper Inquiry:
- What is the greatest lesson you have learned?
- Tell me what you are currently learning?
- How have challenges shaped your life?
Connecting More with You:
- What have you read that I should read?
- How can I add value to you?
- What can I do to help you?
- What might you need from me to be successful?
Everyone wins when you are more curious. You learn more, your brain is healthier, and your team feels heard and more connected to you when you ask better questions and lean into the responses. Ask yourself: What have I learned? How will I use this information? What follow up questions will I have the next time we engage? How can I expand the questions on this list to be even more curious? Our free Cultivating Curiosity resource is a template of questions to get you started. Your expanded neuroplasticity will be a side benefit to the elevated engagement of your team.
