69 PART FIVE - THE 5 GUIDING PRINCIPLES Being curious means that we genuinely want to know more about someone or something. This desire to know naturally compels us to become inquisitive. We must be curious in our work as coaches or while using a coach approach when communicating in order to have the most impactful results. Assuming this is true, if we direct our attention fully to our coachees and become explorers, (curious as to what we will discover together), we can actually stimulate discovery, new awareness and ultimately results in the coaching process. Being a detective or an explorer can be challenging. Often our need to solve a challenge or share our ideas can get in the way of stretching our curiosity muscle. This shows up in the workplace or when there are goals needing to be met in an expedient fashion. We often default to ‘tell first ask later’ (or not at all). It is important that we cultivate a habit of ‘asking first” when someone comes to us looking for answers, new direction, support, problem solving, planning, etc. There is a great opportunity in being curious to stretch questioning skills even further. Be in curious inquiry, ask and explore the expertise of the coachee. After all, they are the expert in their own situation and thinking, and have wisdom and experience that often goes untapped and may even offer a more creative solution than we can offer as the coach. Curiosity then, is a key that nurtures creativity, resourcefulness and self-reflection. It is often the driving force behind personal growth and career satisfaction, even for senior executives. Bottom line, building our capacity to be curious is a must for excellence in relating as a coach or in using a ‘coach approach’ in any situation. Tips for Building Your Curiosity Muscle Be a learner. Be curious about things you don’t know and even more curious about what you believe you already know. Be comfortable saying “I don’t know”. Being in a state of not knowing can naturally stimulate curiosity and exploration. Couple this with an intention to explore! Seek, and be open to, other perspectives. Ours is only one way of looking at things. Model and reward curiosity. Inspire others to reach into new perspective and ideas, simply by ‘being curious’ yourself. Model curiosity in problem solving or brainstorming conversations. Ask first, versus tell. Explore outside of your own thinking, solutions, beliefs, ideas and hold others as the expert in their own lives. Try new things. Stretch into exploring outside of what you know and are comfortable with and experience new things.
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