Is curiosity a leadership superpower? Going down the rabbit hole isn’t always advice we’d suggest project leaders follow, however there’s definitely a place for asking ‘why’ and getting curious when you want to foster successful teams.
Remember the story of Alice in Wonderland? Following a languid afternoon reading underneath the tree, a white rabbit darts across our heroine’s line-of-sight, leaving her wondering where it’s going and why. Before long, she crosses a portal where she encounters an unpredictable, ever-changing environment with a complex set of characters, often obscure rules and unexpected challenges.
It might sound familiar to those of us in project leadership roles. Unpredictable, ever-changing environment? Check. Complex set of characters? Check. Obscure rules and unexpected challenges? Check and check. And there’s something else we have in common with Alice, too: just as she finds herself trying to make sense of the why of Wonderland, effective leaders can also adopt a ‘curiouser and curiouser’ mindset to uncover the mysteries of Projectland.
In a world with constantly shifting methodologies, stakeholder demands and team dynamics, embracing a sense of curiosity allows leaders to explore why projects get delivered as they do within their organisation. This, in turn, helps you incorporate new ways to do things better, dream up creative solutions and remain resilient and adaptable.
One of the factors that sets great project leaders apart is their ability to nurture the same curiosity among their teams. Rather than rushing to judgement, a focus on cultivating a resilient, innovative and effective culture that enables teams to reach their full potential allows teams to thrive (rather than just survive the oddities of Projectland).
Judgement: the natural enemy of curiosity
Curiosity, in its simplest form, is asking “why” rather than jumping to conclusions. We often refer to it as a project superpower: an essential trait of leaders with that elusive X-factor, as they pause, reflect and explore the reasons behind success or failure.
When you embrace curiosity, you encourage your team to explore solutions and be open to new ways of working. This adaptability can be the difference between success and stagnation in a project.
On the other hand, judgement is the natural enemy of curiosity because it shuts down the door to questions and learning new ideas. The moment you pass judgement, you stop learning and understanding. When you stay curious, you are likely to avoid the trap of rigidly adhering to best practices without considering the specific needs and nuances of a project or the environment.
We often hear project leads grumbling about teams out there in other parts of Projectland who are not “doing” agile properly, for instance, or who have made other adjustments to suit the environment. This purist approach can be destructive rather than destructive.
Instead of immediately criticising another team for not adhering to the finer detail of a particular project delivery methodology, the better question is why they feel the need to make those adjustments. The answer may surprise you and help improve your own performance; at the very least, you’re practicing empathy.
In a hybrid work environment, where face-to-face interaction is limited and digital communication can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, fostering curiosity rather than rushing to judgement becomes even more critical.
Walking the line between judgement and judgemental
Let’s be clear: judgement is an essential skill for decision-making. We need it to evaluate situations, make informed decisions and lead our teams. However, there is a distinction between exercising judgment, which is necessary in leadership, and being judgmental.
In Alice terms, judgemental leaders are Queen of Hearts of Projectland – “off with her head!”. Making snap assessments without context or understanding when anyone displeases you will almost certainly cause divisions and even affect progress, stifle creativity and collaboration, and prevent those around you from reaching their full potential.
Let’s consider an example: a project manager steps into a new role and notices the team works in a different way than the project manager is used to. It also appears to be slower than other companies they have worked in. Instead of immediately assuming the team is underperforming, a curious leader might explore challenges the team is facing, its history, how it was formed, what they have tried, and what has worked (and what has not).
Armed with a greater understanding, it might become clear that expectations from other organisations are unrealistic in this situation, or that the current environment has complexities that your previous workplace did not. When you approach the solution with the right information, it’s far more likely that any improvement suggestions are far more likely to be received by the team and driven forward with success.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of being judgmental resulting from confirmation bias, especially when a leader has years of experience in a particular methodology, or in a localised team (rather than a hybrid one). It’s hard to spot those subtle non-verbal cues that indicate whether a hybrid team member is struggling, or a process is not functioning as expected.
By staying curious, you’ll find you are more attuned to these subtle cues. Taking the next step, asking questions will help you diagnose the underlying issues and address the root of the problem. Ultimately, you’ll be creating a more supportive and collaborative environment.
Yet another benefit of curiosity is resilience – a critical trait for project teams, which are renowned for having to deal with last-minute requirement changes or the dreaded technical challenges.
Teams that approach problems with curiosity are better equipped to find innovative solutions. They are not bound by rigid methodologies or past experiences – the dreaded “this is how we always do [x]” – instead, remaining open to new ideas.
Down the curiosity rabbit hole
Creating a culture of curiosity within a project team won’t happen by accident. If you’re a project leader, it all starts with you, and whether you model the trait yourself. In practice, that means always asking questions and challenging assumptions – even if it takes you straight down the proverbial rabbit hole.
It’s a mindset that should be nurtured in every resident of Projectland, from junior members to senior project managers. Why? Because when curiosity is part of an organisation’s delivery DNA, everyone feels more comfortable about sharing ideas, asking questions and challenging the status quo. And that’s good for collaboration, innovation and project outcomes.
So next time someone demands “off with her head”, take a step back and ask “what if we explored a different way instead?”
Quay Consulting is a professional services business specialising in the project landscape, transforming strategy into fit-for-purpose delivery. Meet our team or reach out to find out more about how Quay Consulting can help your organisation, please contact us.
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