What Kids Can Teach Us About Curiosity & Being Engaged At Work
I am an undefeatable fan of children and it is universally acknowledged that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, one must make himself like a child. To understand this, we must first question, what is it to be child-like? I believe littles are extremely intelligent with a marvelous sense of curiosity and ways of exploring this large world, with minimal resources and conscience of themselves. There is much to learn from their budding tenacity that gets beaten out of us, the older we grow.
I luckily never lose my creative spark, but on the days when it seems duller than usual, there is nothing that quite stimulates my creativity than observing children or watching reels of them and the way they interact with their environment. It’s just so intriguing. What if we tied all of this magic into what we otherwise consider a monotonous and tiring sphere: the workplace? Are there ways in which we can make our lives more delightful, and more engaged in our work with lessons from little children? Here’s what I think:
Question to the T
Kids incessantly ask “Why?” and “How?” as they continue to make sense of the world around them. Sometimes this relentless questioning bores adults around them, but simultaneously you are caught off-guard by the depth or perspective the child offers. Interest grows when curiosity is fed. The same goes for mental and physical investment. The easiest way to be engaged in what you do is to actively ponder over it. For managers and business owners, this could look like asking your employees about processes, strategies, and goals, giving them a voice and sense of belonging and importance. In the same vein, active questioning allows you to form better bonds with your customers and understand your target audience more deeply. Cultivating a culture where questioning is welcomed can lead to deeper understanding and innovation!
The child-like wonder
Questioning is not enough — one must have childlike wonder to be able to absorb all the awe and goodness of this world, our work, friendships, talents, and creations. Wonder is a magical ingredient sorely lacking in our workspaces. The only people who truly engage in thinking about this are your radical entrepreneurs. Why have we lost a sense of wonder? Because it's unreal, impractical, non-existent? I disagree. Wonder lies in the delight you can create for others, or perceive from something existing within or outside of you. This could be simulations, design workshops, or simply an environment where your team can rediscover the wonder in their work. The crux lies in highlighting the impact and significance of each individual’s contributions, no matter how small, to keep them motivated and engaged while encouraging them to explore the potential of their ideas.
Children love playing — so your work should feel like play
Now let’s take this quite literally. When I was in the Netherlands, Stephan Sonnenburg of ICN Berlin, introduced us to the concept of ‘Lego Serious Play.’ I had never seen it a prior and yet it made complete sense even before he could explain the activity at hand.
Originally created as an experience method for use in adult-led workshops, LEGO Serious Play was intended to stimulate thought, promote introspection, nurture problem-solving abilities, and foster the use of creativity. Every set aims to improve distinct abilities like introspection and communication. Through the approachable medium of play, this creative method of engagement facilitates participant opening and is a useful asset in both business and education, by being not just a visually ‘fun’ element but a tool that stimulates different parts of our brain to reach better solutions!
Value Simplicity
We have a misconstruction that simple is undeveloped and rudimentary. But, the truth is, the answer is always simple. If it’s not simple, its probably not the best or right answer. Children love simplicity, they are straightforward, candid, and honest. All your quality management tools and techniques are fundamentally built around this value — to streamline processes, and to be simple. When you see a problem in simpler terms, you are able to look through it more easily and come out with effective solutions. Wherever you are in the corporate hierarchy, encourage simplicity in processes and problem-solving. Streamline your workflows and reduce unnecessary complexity, it’s the easiest way to stay focused and engaged.
Simplicity is also mindfulness, and kids are very mindful. They are fully present in the moment, entirely consumed with the task at hand. Mindfulness is only possible when you fine-tune the
- environment around you
- yourself. the most important.
You either filter out all distractions and set strong boundaries or you cultivate that inner peace and focus in order to be truly mindful and at work.
What else?
Kids are highly resilient and also, surprisingly, emotionally intelligent. They know how to build genuine connections with the people around them, and where to draw boundaries. They believe in the other’s ability to get a task done, without overthinking it. How much of this can we apply to ourselves? We find it irritating to work in teams because we have our set notions about people and their behaviors. We don’t see them the way kids see people outside of them.
Some of the best managers I know are those who are very positive in their disposition and communication. They come across as clear and having faith in you, which is a great boost. But most people tend to think the last thing you want on a Monday morning is a cheery team leader, full of energy, hyping everyone up. Yet the truth is, when you feel like nothing you do is right and deadlines are inching closer, the only thing you want, is someone who believes in you and the process and is confident of a net-positive outcome.
As John Rockefeller said — “Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.”
The only catch here is, that there are no “average” people, just people lacking in certain criteria we deem as excellent vs mediocre. The journey to being positive in your attitude and communication towards all team members begins with being conscious of your own biases that construe the way we define these labels. If we are able to quantity what they mean to us and chart them alongside what is necessary on the job — the grey area of our paranoia is immediately singled out, leaving us with clear, attainable ideals for all at the table. That’s when real change and conversations begin, inspiring the best in everyone and yourself at the same time.
We can bring about so much of an amazing change, simply by the way we engage in conversation with each other. You can not ‘manage people,’ you can only manage yourself and others will manage themselves. But how you carry yourself and a vision, is contagious to everyone you work and interact with. A little more positivity never hurt anyone — it uplifts the energy of the room!
Let’s enjoy the gift of having each other and our talents, there is barely such thing as a silo in a graveyard too — we’re never alone, we always have kids around. Let’s turn to them and learn a thing or two to improve our lives and make the most of it!
Do you agree with this? Let me know what points you would add in the comments!
Best Regards,
Shevaun Pimenta | thedesigneuron
