Beginner’s Mind

When you think about growth, development, and helping others to grow and develop, curiosity is a key ingredient to doing so. Think about the beginner’s mind. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” – Shunryu Suzuki

Consider how you learned when you were a young child. Curiosity certainly came into play, as did taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes. I believe that we are born curious, and some of us remain more curious than others – often due to our upbringing, surroundings, and the expectations that are put upon us. And, the good news is, if you want to learn how to be more curious, you can do so.

Let go of your own thoughts and assumptions

When I began my coaching journey, I quickly realized I was not as curious as I needed to be in order to be an effective coach. It was important for me to learn to let go of being attached to “what I thought” and instead open up to the possibilities, seeking out meaning and understanding from my client to help them gain understanding, awareness and learning around the topic at hand. Coaching isn’t about the coach having the answers, it’s about helping the client to discover the answers. I believe the most effective leaders can best help their direct reports with this in mind. And imagine how much easier it will be if you don’t have to have all the answers!

The first way to get into the curious space is to ask the questions – open ended questions for which you have no attachment to the answer. The recipient of your questions gets to decide and dig deep and formulate his/her own response to the question.

When we start with the beginner’s mind, we are able to listen more deeply and hear what’s really being said because we don’t take the words for granted; we get curious about what the responder really means. We ask more questions to gain clarity and understanding, helping not only us as leaders to learn from the individual with whom we are engaged, but helping them too, to get more curious about what’s possible or what’s real for them. This not only allows the individual with whom we are speaking to learn, but we get to learn right alongside them.

It’s important that you let go of any preconceived notion, assumptions, or “expertise” you might have around the questions you are asking. You need to truly be open to letting the other person be true to their meaning; their perspective.

Regardless of your position or number of years in the workforce, there is always room for development. Getting curious and letting go of your expertise can help you grow. My adult son inspires me with his commitment to being a “continuous, life-long learner”. And, I learn from him during just about every conversation we have! This article helps to add more depth to the advantages of letting go of your own expertise.

If you’re looking to grow, or help others to grow and develop, feel empowered, encouraged to take risks and to innovate, curiosity is necessary. What do you want to learn more about? If you’re curious about how executive and leadership coaching might help you or your organization, I’d love to connect so we can discuss your needs.

“The beginner’s mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless.” – Shunryu Suzuki