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Do you actively express interest in wanting to know more about something? Are you constantly testing your campaigns to uncover trends and patterns? Do you find yourself asking a lot of questions?
People that are curious by nature tend to fall into this category. And they’re often the kind of person you want on your team, representing your company, and building out your brand. Why? Because they work hard, they learn, become more efficient, and ultimately solve problems — both for themselves and for the customer.
Are you curious to discover just how curious you are? We’ve explained 13 habits of curious people, and why they matter in business.
13 Habits of Incredibly Curious People
1) They love to learn.
Curious people tend to be avid learners. In the professional world, learning from what worked and what didn’t in a variety of scenarios is important to continuously refining your process. Whether it’s the blog title they choose, the email subject line they employ, or the time in which they publish your social media posts, curious people want to experiment, learn, and optimize.
As LifeHacker points out, being curious means having an active mind. You’re not satisfied until you learn all you can about your process, and have the requisite data to start doubling down on what works and forgetting about what doesn’t.
2) They live to solve problems.
Every potential customer has a need. When they begin to research a product or service, they’re doing it because they want to improve on something. If you’re curious, you love this: You want to know their goals, how they plan to get there, and how you can help.
It’s a sign you’re curious if you think about a customer’s success as if it was your own. How do you get them to where they want to be? What resources can you create to make their lives easier?
3) Questions don’t scare them.
Curious people embrace questions. When approaching someone new, they aren’t afraid to ask questions and solicit feedback that they think will make them better. If you can learn from it, you’ll embrace that initial awkward moment and take in the information.
After some practice, these people become familiar with the unfamiliar. And this is a huge advantage for anyone in any business setting, as unfamiliar moments are the rule, not the exception.
4) They’ll talk about anything.
Studies have proven time and time again that maintaining a healthy level of curiosity about different viewpoints enables people to more easily form and maintain social relationships. According to Ben Dean, Ph.D, curious folks are often above-average listeners and conversationalists.
Being a great listener and conversationalist goes a long way. Curious people focus on the person they’re connecting with, and talk about what they’re interested in, struggling with, and aspiring to.
5) Virtually nothing bores them.
Curious people are always investigating something new and as a result are constantly building knowledge. No matter the situation, they can find something interesting to explore.
Curious people tend to maintain high activity levels and discover interesting facts about their industry. While others are procrastinating or pumping out the same old content, these people are reading books, and learning new methodologies.
6) They question everything.
Why should we settle? In this HBR article, Warren Berger encourages company leaders to create a culture where every practice is questioned. He emphasizes the importance of questions in order for a company to “innovate, adapt to change, and maintain an edge in fast-moving, competitive markets.”
Curious folks aren’t afraid to question old tactics, and this helps them continuously optimize their practices, messaging, and habits.
7) They don’t mind extra hours.
Curious people want to figure stuff out. When something piques their interest, they stick around until they discover more about the issue, or get to the bottom of the problem. And if the resolution won’t be uncovered for an hour or two after 5 p.m. rolls around, curious people settle in for the long haul.
8) They’re self-motivated.
Being consistently interested in new things means you’re self-motivated to put in the time and effort to learn. You don’t need anyone to tell you that you have to do something; instead, you’re focused on doing it because you want to. Being curious and self-motivated also means you don’t get down when something goes wrong — instead, you’re all the more motivated to solve the problem.
9) They keep it positive.
Believe it or not, curious people tend to be more positive than their less-curious counterparts. While others can be set back by rejection, they take it in stride. They aim to discover what went wrong or what they could improve on, and then take action.
10) They’re naturally empathetic.
As Greater Good points out, empathy and curiosity are linked. The more empathetic you are, the more curious you’re likely to be.
In a business setting, empathy helps you connect with you audience in a real and authentic way. An empathetic person can instantly step into anyone’s shoes and identify with their pain points.
11) They love to achieve.
While most folks are afraid of what lies ahead, Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer found that curious people anxiously await their opportunity to move forward. When others become satisfied with their position, curious people continue to boldly move forward and take the next step. It goes without saying that an achievement attitude is essential in the professional world, where reps are held to quotas as well as other concrete metrics.
12) They’re creative.
Creativity and curiosity have been linked in several studies. The Huffington Post noted that creative people are “insatiably curious.” Instead of zoning out, curious people observe and look at things differently. In business, they are the ones who experiment with new techniques and think of different ways to cater to their audience, often winning the attention of potential customers as a result.
13) They stay in the moment.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, curious people are present and stay in the moment. As studies have shown, thinking about several things at once can negatively affect your learning. Multitasking creates an inability to be fully present and take in everything that is happening in front of you. On the other hand, because curious people are so interested in what they’re doing, they find it easier to be present and focused.
How curious are you? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
