By Beverly Kaye, Founder, Career Systems International

My co-author of Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go and I have written several articles about curiosity. We feel curiosity is an essential skill that every manager needs in order to hold viable career conversations.

In one article, we describe curiosity as a gateway competency.  If managers lack curiosity, it’s very difficult to fulfill all the managerial functions!

There’s a connection between curiosity and inclusion. It opens the door to different points of view, facilitates insights and understanding, invites involvement and inspires greater engagement. Price Cobbs, author of Black Rage says “In today’s increasingly diverse workforce, curiosity manifests itself in people discovering differences and learning about them to enrich their own lives.” There is a business case and a human case for curiosity.

Curious leaders who are committed to diversity and inclusion know how vital it is to explore (1) the capacities, talents and skills that employees enjoy using, (2) the experiences that shaped and continue to shape their thinking, (3) the past accomplishments that affect future potential, (4) the aspirations they hold, and (5) the barriers that might stop them cold.  All of these topics become the basis of ongoing curious dialogue between leaders and employees.  These dialogues help to advance organizational results.