The Power of Curiosity: How Embracing What You Don’t Know Can Transform Your Business

What you don’t know can really put a hitch in your giddyup. Over the last couple weeks we’ve been talking about this, and now that I’m here I find that there’s a lot to say. We talked about products and the finances behind them, and some of you might have felt seen. If that’s the case, reach out so we can talk. I’m safe. Conversations with your coach are safe (if you have one). 

Making mistakes is human and the worst thing you can do is stay in a lack of knowledge out of embarrassment. There’s no shame in not knowing, there’s only a problem with refusing to learn.

So how do we learn?

The first step is acknowledging that there are likely things you don’t know. Things you should know. Start with curiosity. What would drastically change your business if you did know it? How can you identify the things you don’t know you don’t know?

Redundancy abounds but the concept is important.

The second step is having a bias for action and the initiative to admit to someone that you could use some help. Find yourself a mentor. Find multiple mentors! Join a collective or association of business owners like you. Talk to a business coach like me. Do some research of your own.

It goes back to that post from two weeks back about the subreddit thread and the anxiety many successful small business owners feel. That anxiety is likely there because you don’t know what you don’t know. How great would it be to be surrounded by role models or to talk through the challenges you’re facing in a safe space where you can be truly open and honest without fear of judgment?

I played golf quite a bit growing up. I played in middle school and high school. I wasn’t great, but I was good enough to make the team. I know it’s a different phenomenon to some degree, kinesthetics and body mechanics and what not, but I will always remember what it was like to play with my friend Andy. He had a beautiful swing and was a much better golfer than I was. 

As we played, I would watch him swing, and my own swing would improve. He wasn’t giving me tips or telling me what to do or how to think. It was just by proximity, by watching him do what he did so well that something within me was figuring it out on its own. My rhythm would slow down and even out. My club and shot selection would improve. Everything got better.

You should try finding that for your business. Get yourself your version of Andy. You might be surprised at what you learn.