Are you ready for the end of the year? We know it is coming, but once we hit October 1st, we blink, and it is the end of the year. I know I am not alone here! 

As we close out the year, I wanted to end on the same note I started on this year. If you remember, my intention word for the year was curiosity. I mentioned incorporating this into my personal and professional life and invited you to become more curious. (If you missed the January newsletter, read it here.)

While I have always been curious, I honed my skills and understanding of the importance of being curious and not judgmental at a Tony Robbins Date with Destiny event 23 years ago. On one of the program days, we focused on values. That day changed my life and helped me gain perspective into others. 

Everyone has values, and more importantly, they have rules for those values. Let’s take honesty. What has to happen for you to experience honesty? Some people think it is okay to tell a white lie while others believe it’s never okay to do. Yet, most people, if asked, will say they’re honest.

I receive calls on a regular basis from business owners saying that their employees are not getting along or that they hired someone who looked great on paper, but they are not working out. That is “code” for the employee does not fit our company culture, or their values are different than I expected.

The business owner is usually expressing frustration over the situation. Perhaps the employee who does not “fit into the company culture” doesn’t enjoy meeting after work for cocktails because they are responsible for caring for an elderly parent or child. Or, they don’t participate in the monthly potluck in the office because they got food poisoning from a potluck at a former company. Instead of being judgmental, could you be curious about why the employee chooses not to participate? When you are curious, you can turn the frustration into fascination. You also might learn something!

You may be thinking that example is too easy. Perhaps, but as simple as this sounds, these are life skills I learned at the Tony Robbins event that I use daily. I can honestly say that I rely on these skills more than anything else, including my 30 years of HR experience and my MBA.

Why is something so simple so powerful? Because it is based on human psychology and the last time I checked, we are all human. How can you hone your curiosity skills? Who would benefit from adding a bit of curiosity into your daily life? Imagine if we could approach people and situations with curiosity vs. judgment. How much better will our interactions be? That certainly would be the Magic of Human Connection®.

So, as we close out the year, I wish you all a season full of curiosity and good cheer!