CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT

A bombshell exploded in the world of Australian Rules Football this week when Essendon were found guilty of using a banned substance; it's created a shock wave across the professional athletic & sports community.

I listened to the findings and one statement stood out as the reasoning for negligence and lack of accountability on behalf of these athletes - CURIOSITY. According to the authors of the report, the players did not demonstrate CURIOSITY towards the drugs they were being administered.

My generation (Baby Boomer cusp) were brought up hearing the idiom, 'curiosity killed the cat'. We were still expected to be seen and not heard, to not ask personal questions and to show manners at all times which meant not being CURIOUS! 

CURIOSITY is an 'on demand' subject for my business - it's a subject which is involved in innovation, team dynamics, change, board membership and several other programs.

So, is this a problem that we're all facing? Are we guilty of building a nation of whingers opposed to curious beings? Or, is asking questions fundamental in our businesses DNA? Unfortunately, I hear more business still reprimanding their staff for questioning the status quo.

CURIOSITY is a basic emotion - we used it well as young children, we excelled at school being encouraged to ask ask questions however as we mature, this emotion takes a backseat. Current research advises that our memory is being disadvantaged because we're not curious and that we can easily take charge of being curious.

We will all learn from this drug case. I'm confident it will be a common case-study as we tend to hold football with a higher regard than other (more successful) businesses and organisations who make mistakes.

Today be CURIOUS - explore, question, probe, investigate and learn. Encourage your teams to be curious and reward them for questioning what you do and why it's being done.