Outside the school environment, there is no one to motivate us to learn and expand our minds. According to experts, lifelong learning is driven by curiosity, and developing curiosity is one of the most beneficial lifelong skills you can have. In the workplace, research has also shown that curiosity brings many benefits. For instance, for teams, greater curiosity can increase efficiency and productivity, reduce group conflict and decision-making errors, and create an environment that is better able to accept new members into the team and embrace diversity among them. Why is there need for curiosity? Beatha Ashishakiye, an educator at E.P Gafunzo Primary School in Ngoma District says without curiosity, there is no learning. “As an educator, I believe that nurturing curiosity can lead to moments where a person would be motivated and eager to learn more,” she says. Sylvester Twizerimana, a psychologist working with youth in Rubavu District says for those working as a team, greater curiosity can increase efficiency and productivity. He says when one is curious, be it at the working place or any other area, it helps reduce group conflict and decision-making errors, and instead creates an environment that is better and conducive for everyone. Also, he says that as a psychologist, being curious has helped him be able to foster product development as well as be able to come up with better solutions to challenges affecting young people. “I believe this can apply to anyone in any area as it helps increase agility, and readiness to move in different directions,” he says. In addition to this, Twizerimana says curiosity also tends to attract inquisitive minds and can make an organisation stand out when competing for talent. At an individual level, the psychologist says curiosity brings benefits such as reduction in cognitive bias, reduced anxiety, and higher levels of engagement at work. In fact, he points out that it has even been shown to foster career progression and financial gain. Ashishakiye on the other hand believes that curiosity also encourages employees to understand others’ perspectives. “As employees, curiosity tends to take interest in others’ ideas rather than just focusing on their own. This creates a group that works better together and ultimately achieves better results,” she says. Jane Nakaayi, the head of the department of languages at the Riviera High school says curiosity also fosters open communication and better team performance. She notes that employees with higher levels of curiosity share information more openly and listen more carefully, than those without. Meanwhile, recent research discussed in the Harvard Business Review revealed three important insights about curiosity in the workplace. First, curiosity is much more important to a company’s performance than previously thought. Cultivating curiosity helps employees and their leaders adapt to market conditions and pressures. Also, curiosity allows them to think innovatively and rationally about decisions and come up with creative solutions.
