I've spent my career being professionally curious (yes, that's actually a thing). It's not just a personality trait—it's the backbone of how we understand cultural shifts and human behavior. So when our recent research with Box of Crayons, surveying over 500 US business leaders and 1,000 US knowledge workers, revealed a critical gap in how we practice curiosity, it felt like we'd stumbled upon something urgent.
When Smart People Stop Listening
Let me paint you a picture: We live in an era where over half of business leaders say divisive politics entering the workplace is challenging to navigate, while a similar number struggle with handling increased fragility in the office.
Moving forward, 84% of US business leaders acknowledge we must "deeply understand the people we work with to be most efficient," yet 70% of these same leaders admit that "many people don't understand the value in listening to people they disagree with."
It's like trying to build IKEA furniture while refusing to read the instructions—sure, you might end up with something, but it probably won't be that bookshelf you wanted.
Our research with Box Of Crayons reveals a landscape where finger-pointing trumps problem-solving:
61% of business leaders say issues at work are often escalated by wrong assumptions about colleagues
57% of business leaders report that when problems arise, people focus more on placing blame than finding solutions
70% of business leaders "wish they had time to slow down and think"
In cultures where blame is ready before the product launches, failure isn't just possible—it's predetermined. These environments crush innovation and kill any chance of building momentum.
The Feedback Fallacy
Here's where it gets interesting: We're simultaneously craving and rejecting feedback. While 70% of US business leaders note that employees seek more feedback, 55% admit these employees struggle to accept constructive criticism. It's like we're hungry but allergic to the food.
Rethinking Curiosity: Two Types
Working with Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that's been teaching global organizations about Coach-Like Curiosity for nearly a decade, we uncovered a crucial distinction that might change everything.
There are two types of curiosity, and we've been playing favorites:
Intellectual Curiosity: The traditional knowledge-seeking behavior we're all familiar with, motivated by a desire to accumulate knowledge or fill gaps. This is the type of curiosity supported in most workplaces. The intellectually curious go on to discover and invent helpful things.
Relational Curiosity: A newer concept focused on understanding and relating to others. It's curiosity motivated by a desire to understand, help, and relate to others. The relationally curious ask questions in service of the other person—building trust, engagement, and better collaboration.
Here's the kicker: 76% of leaders admit that intellectual curiosity is the only type promoted in their workplace today. Yet 84% believe it's curiosity about each other that will drive future business decisions.
Beyond developing a coach-like sensibility, my favorite example is the MIT aging suit, AGNES, which helps innovation teams experience what it feels like to be old. It's a perfect example of how relational curiosity—truly trying to understand others' experiences—can transform how we work and innovate.
The Impact of Relational Curiosity
Activating relational curiosity was seen by both business leaders and knowledge workers as improving scores around the likelihood of active listening, accountability, collaboration, and exploration.
The data backs this up—when workplaces foster this new kind of curiosity:
57% of business leaders say they would solve problems more efficiently
57% report feeling more connected to their company
87% believe there's an urgent need for this shift to remain relevant
Why This Matters
In a world where over half of workers find divisive politics challenging to navigate in the workplace, we need more than just knowledge accumulation—we need genuine understanding. The future of work isn't just about what we know; it's about how deeply we can understand each other. Curiosity is the thing that will continue to define ourselves away from being autoprogrammed from AI.
Curiosity didn't kill the cat—it might just save our workplaces. As we face increasingly complex challenges, our ability to be genuinely curious about each other could be the difference between thriving and merely surviving. The question isn't whether we need more curiosity in our workplaces; it's whether we're brave enough to practice the right kind.
After all, in a world of quick assumptions and quicker judgments, taking the time to be curious about others might be the most revolutionary act of all.
Shout out to Marie Aloi for leading this research!
3 Links
The grim data on family estrangement because of politics (recent Harris data from our CEO Will Johnson) (LA Times)
The Slow, Quiet Demise of American Romance (Atlantic)
Curiosity is contagious; if you like this newsletter, please share it!!
Penned by Libby Rodney and Abbey Lunney, founders of the Thought Leadership Group at The Harris Poll. To learn more about the Thought Leadership Practice, just contact one of us or find out more here.
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