3 Questions to Drive Curiosity...Again and Again

I spoke with Josh Linkner recently. You can listen to our conversation here.

Josh Linkner is on a mission. His mission is to make the world more creative.

He's written a fabulous manual to do just that: Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity.

Josh is the Founder, Chairman and former CEO of the largest interactive promotion agency in the world, ePrize. Josh led the firm from inception to being ranked the #1 fastest growing and #3 overall promotion agency by PROMO Magazine.

Recently, Josh launched the venture capital firm Detroit Venture Partners,actively investing in early-stage techn companies looking to rebuild the Detroit region through entrepreneurship.

During one of his great answers he talked about the 3 questions that drive curiosity again and again. He said:

The way to drive curiosity is asking these questions again and again and again:

• Why?
• What if?
• Why not?

Well, that is nice. You might think that now. Who cares about driving curiosity in a business, right?

Here is a good reason. Again, quoting Josh:

If you ask those constantly it forces you to challenge conventional wisdom.

It forces you to attack the status quo and refuse to accept things as they are on the surface. It forces you to examine the possibilities of what could be.

Aha. Now we get somewhere. What could be.

Again....why does that matter? Business deals with ...what is. Right?

Here is the home-run pitch:

And even in the most stifling bureaucracies today, they were founded on curiosity and innovation. They didn’t get on the map by being bureaucratic. They got on the map by being innovative. Unfortunately, though as most companies grow they tend to loose that heritage of innovation and curiosity. That’s what we need more than ever in today’s business world.

A heritage of innovation and curiosity. That is what is needed now than ever in today’s business world.

So, let me ask the question:  

Why? To create the ideas that need the small businesses that create the new jobs that drive our economy out of this rut.

Why not? Why not encourage companies to educate and train their stakeholders to ask these questions?

What if...all companies, and schools, encouraged their members to ask these questions?

We would create a sustainable heritage of innovation and curiosity...that's why.

Comments

[Wendy]

Innovation and curiosity, it's what keeps people interested in our day-to-day activities. I think about friends who answer "Oh, nothing much" when I ask them what's new in their lives. I'm far less likely to follow up with them as frequently as friends who are on the go. Why would I? Everything is the same as it was the last time I spoke with them. We are less likely to pay attention to things that don't change.

These three questions are now printed in large letters above my desk. Thanks Zane!