Curiosity companion wanted

I was talking to my parents over the weekend about the usual family things that one does, as well as my impending marriage in August.

My mother said that one of the things that she liked about my fiancee Sandy was that she was curious and looking to learn. Then she came out with a good line that got me thinking again - she said that finally I’d found someone that was my curiosity companion and that we could both talk about things that interest us and new ideas.

Mothers as they are prone to do know their children well and reminded me that like my father I was always asking What if and What’s next. Sandy started to laugh as she has noticed this trait in me.

I then got to wondering - how many good ideas might be lost in an organisation because people don’t have a curiosity companion who you can bounce an idea that might sound wacky or left field before proclaiming it to the world to an organisations ideas forum.

People do tend to be a little shy about coming up with ideas in public and do like to talk to a person they trust as most people tend to be afraid of exhibiting new ideas to the world - if they think that it will damage them in the view of their peers.

Maybe we need to have a collection of curiosity companions to spend a little time with and sharing each others ideas in addition to an ideas forum.

By finding a like minded group, we can share a little bit more knowledge and also help us to develop new outlooks and put together disconnected ideas from other people that we can use in our work or come up with something innovative that changes our work. You don’t need a formal meeting - usually 5 minutes over a coffee helps - but it could make a difference and help develop your creativity virus.