Curiosity is a key skill, so why don't we look for it?

When we talk about skills and behaviours that are essential or desirable, there's one that I rarely see listed in job descriptions or in corporate information despite it being hugely important in business and social interactions, especially my world of public policy or marketing. It's a skill that perhaps some people forget is useful, or that it's even a skill, yet it needs to be nurtured and developed just as other skills are. Without it, we would be constantly stuck in information silos devoid of new experiences to learn from or to inspire us. Curiosity is an essential skill if we want to develop ourselves and our business.

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed as ADHD at the age of 39 and I began to reassess a lifetime of experiences and challenges. The diagnosis meant that what I thought I knew about myself had to be viewed through a different lens, with each failure or success bringing emotions to the surface as I thought about what might have been different had I known how my brain worked to begin with. It was incredibly frustrating but also gave me a sense of relief, a huge "ahhhhhh, I see now" moment where a bit of the puzzle had suddenly leapt from down the side of the sofa and plonked itself into the jigsaw at just the place I needed it, finally revealing a full picture.

One of the things I realised about myself is that I am intensely curious about everything, and I mean everything. I love the new - to try new experiences, taste new flavours, listen to new stories and to learn new approaches. As a consequence, I know a little about a lot and I think I can hold a conversation with almost anyone, unlocking little pockets of knowledge stored from adventures down various rabbit holes of curiosity. This isn't just a personality quirk though, it's a useful skill able to aide networking, social interactions, team building, sales and marketing, and winning pub quizzes.

Curiosity is a driver, a catalyst for discovery not just about the world but about yourself. I'm easily bored and can feel like I'm stuck in a rut unless I'm developing new skills or learning. I'm very reflective about my own behaviours, my curiosity pushing me to consider what may have contributed to my failures and successes, analysing these to learn more about myself and the areas I need to develop personally and professionally. I think it's this that helped me cope so long without a diagnosis, relying instead on coping mechanisms to mask my ADHD just enough that I stumbled onwards through life instead of walking confidentally. Now I can use those same behaviours and mechanisms, only armed with the full context of an ADHD diagnosis to fully understand myself and hopefully with fewer trips and stumbles along the way.

So if curiosity can drive all this, why aren't we looking for curious colleagues or staff? What is it about curiousity that sets it apart from other skills such as focus, communication or leadership? Surely we want leaders who are curious - who want to develop and learn, to bring new experience and knowledge into organisations? We want colleagues who will discover customers stories, who will develop that connection with clients and service users, and ultimately be able to respond with the solution they need. Organisations will surely be stronger for having staff who can share the latest trends, techniques and technology with enthusiasm and knowledge, who will know that it is just the thing that Jim in Marketing was looking for to help with the new campaign. And of course Government cannot function without curious minds, digging into the whys and hows to create policy that responds to genuine need in society.

I don't work in recruitment, but it seems that many job descriptions come from the same mould marked "Modern Professional" seeking highly organised and focused leaders with strong communication skills, no matter the role or organisation. And that's... fine. Honestly. But aren't we a little bit curious about what breaking that mould could bring to the table? What about hiring an intensely curious leader with strong conversational skills and a breadth of knowledge? Or appointing dynamic and inspirational storytellers with a drive for adventure and new approaches? What difference could that make to our teams and businesses?

This isn't another article claiming you need to harness neurodiverse superpowers for your organisation. Curiosity is not a trait reserved to ADHD or ASD and discussing neurodiverse traits as 'superpowers' is incredibly problematic for a multitude of reasons. However, my experience is one formed through ADHD so it's right to reflect on that here. Curiosity and ADHD are a tricky combination, especially where productivity is concerned (damn you Wikipedia), but it's a behaviour that brings huge benefits to me personally and professionally. Working in the arts sector is a gift for the curious, with new experiences, sights and sounds around every corner and a million stories to discover.

For me, I'll stay curious - about the world and about myself. There's a lot to still learn following my ADHD diagnosis, and challenges to overcome. I'd change much about myself, but I genuinely love that I'm driven by curiosity and discovery of the new. Like finally sitting down and learning how to solve a Rubiks Cube just last week.