Curiosity: The Most Underrated Skill You're Not Using

This is my first year as department chair at my school. I've only been in the area for a little over two years, so I'm still pretty new to how things work around here.

When I took the role, I didn't pretend to have all the answers. Instead, I started asking teachers and students what frustrated them most.

One problem I discovered: Students didn't know when clubs met. Teachers couldn't figure out which activities overlapped. Kids were missing meetings because they had no idea two clubs they cared about were scheduled at the same time. Everyone was frustrated, but nobody had done anything about it.

The solution? I created a shared club calendar. Simple. Everyone can now see meeting times, plan accordingly, and avoid conflicts.

Problem solved.

The solution was obvious once I knew the problem existed. I only discovered it by asking.

That's what curiosity does. It reveals opportunities that were hiding in plain sight.

Why This Matters Beyond Club Calendars

Curiosity isn't just about solving logistical problems at work. It's how you find what actually matters to you.

Not through some grand revelation or perfect plan, but through trying things, asking questions, and paying attention to what happens.

Most people treat curiosity like a personality trait: something you either have or don't. But it's actually a skill. And like any skill, the more you use it, the better it gets.

Curiosity is the breeding ground for passion and purpose.

You don't discover what you love by thinking about it. You discover it by trying things and noticing what pulls you back.

You don't find meaningful work by planning the perfect career path. You find it by being curious about problems people actually have and testing whether you can solve them.

You don't build deep relationships by being interesting. You build them by being interested.

Curiosity breaks you out of stuck routines, introduces you to new people, and helps you dive deeper into challenging work.

How This Shows Up at Work

People love to talk about their problems. If you're curious enough to ask and actually listen, opportunities reveal themselves.

You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to be curious about what people need.

The club calendar wasn't my brilliant idea. Students and teachers told me exactly what the problem was. I just listened and created something that addressed it.

This works in any job or business:

• Ask your team what slows them down most

• Notice what customers complain about repeatedly

• Pay attention to what frustrates people and test small solutions

You're not committing to fix everything. You're just testing to see what happens.

Some things don't work. That's fine. Now you know. But some things surprise you. They open doors you didn't know existed. They reveal skills you didn't know you had.

How This Shows Up in Relationships

Most conversations are performances.

Someone asks how you're doing. You give the standard answer. They share something about their week. You wait for your turn to talk about yours. Nobody learns anything new about each other.

Curious conversations are different.

You ask a question and actually listen to the answer. You ask follow-up questions based on what they said. You discover things about people you've known for years.

Warning: don't try to fix their problems.

When someone shares what's bothering them, your instinct might be to jump in with solutions. Resist that. People don't want you to fix; they want you to hear.

Curiosity in relationships means being interested in their experience, not performing expertise.

The people who build the deepest connections aren't the most interesting. They're the most interested.

Breaking Out of Stuck Routines

Curiosity gets you unstuck.

The same lunch spot. The same drive home. The same weekend activities. The same approach to problems at work.

Routines are comfortable, but they're also how you stay exactly where you are.

Being curious means testing what else might work:

• Trying a project at work you've never done before

• Taking a different route and noticing what you see

• Asking a colleague about their process instead of assuming yours is best

• Saying yes to something that sounds interesting, even if it's outside your usual territory

You're not committing to anything permanent. You're just testing to see what happens.

You can't find what matters to you if you're not willing to try what might not.

What You Can Do This Week

Here's the thing about curiosity: you don't need permission to use it.

You just need to start asking questions and paying attention to what happens.

This week:

• Ask someone at work what frustrates them most about their role

• Have one conversation where you ask three follow-up questions based on what someone said

• Try one small thing you've been curious about but haven't made time for

Not because it'll definitely lead somewhere. Because you're testing what might.

Curiosity isn't about having all the answers. It's about being willing to ask the questions.

And when you do that consistently, you discover things about your work, your relationships, and yourself that you couldn't have planned your way into.

That's how you find what actually matters.

This work is meant to be reflective and shared. If you enjoyed it, let me know. I read every response. If you think someone else will enjoy it, please share!

-Ricky