I recently worked with a group of VPs from a large organization when one leader admitted she realized she had been shutting down questions without meaning to. That led to a powerful conversation about why measurement matters. The group recognized the value of building a culture of curiosity but did not know how to go about measuring the impact of it. The challenge is that even if you recognize that curiosity is a behavior that can be strengthened, you often don’t give it the same seriousness you bring to engagement or productivity. It is critical to track curiosity in a similar way, so that you can see areas where you can improve performance. That requires measuring three things, including curiosity levels, factors that can inhibit curiosity, and productivity-related issues like engagement, innovation, and everything else that leads to the bottom line. When you don’t measure all three things, the impact is not clear, because what gets measured gets managed.
Measurement One: Measuring Curiosity Levels
Researchers have created tools that can measure curiosity levels, and establishing this baseline matters because it helps leaders connect curiosity directly to meaningful business outcomes like retention, efficiency, and innovation. Some assessments are very general and not necessarily work-related. I created my own survey and found it to be most helpful when I want to obtain a baseline measurement to combine with the second measurement that I will share next. I use something simple like SurveyMonkey to create a survey where I include instructions like please rate each statement honestly, based on your own experiences. I have them respond on a scale with 1 strongly disagree, 2 disagree, 3 neutral, 4 agree, or 5 strongly agree. Here are a few of the 24 survey items I use:
• I feel confident speaking up with questions at work even if I am unsure of the answer.
• I am willing to try new solutions at work even if success is not guaranteed.
• There are opportunities to learn at work from mistakes without being penalized.
• I share my ideas at work even when others may know more than I do.
Measurement Two: Measuring Curiosity Inhibitors
At the same time that they take that survey, it is important that they also complete a second assessment because using both measurements together reveals deeper insight than using either one alone. The first shows how curious they are today, while the second uncovers the lifelong patterns, habits, and experiences that shaped those behaviors. The second instrument includes 36 questions to determine the impact of the four factors that inhibit curiosity including fear, assumptions, technology, and environment (FATE). Without going into all 36 questions, consider what you can learn from exploring the following:
• Fear: Fear is an important inhibitor of curiosity. Consider what things keep you from asking questions in meetings. Do you find it intimidating to be around other people who know more than you do? Do you feel uncomfortable if others don’t think your ideas are important?
• Assumptions: Assumptions are the things we tell ourselves that make us lose interest, become apathetic, and find things unnecessary or even frightening. Consider some of the things you tell yourself that keep you from exploring new things. Do you think that there are subjects that don’t interest you, so you don’t explore them? Do you believe your leaders might not reward you for the time it takes to learn new things at work?
• Technology: Technology can be a problem if people over-utilize or under-utilize it. If you feel AI can do things for you, that you don’t feel well-trained, or find it overwhelming, your curiosity can shut down. Consider some of the reasons you either avoid or rely too heavily on technology. Are you not willing to go through what it takes to figure out how technology works? Do you rarely wonder how your device came up with the answers it did?
• Environment: Environment is not about ping pong tables or other office environment kinds of things. It is about interactions with people. If you had others impact your desire to explore that can lead to diminished curiosity. Consider some of the people you have interacted with like your family, friends, peers, leaders, and even social media. Have you had leaders who did not encourage you to share your ideas? Have you worked in organizations where your suggestions didn’t matter?
When you reflect on questions like these, you start to uncover lifelong patterns. Someone who struggled with dismissive leaders early in their career may still hold back even in a supportive environment. Someone who learned to avoid areas that did not immediately interest them may skip opportunities to grow. Someone who has always relied on others for technological support may not explore new tools. These patterns limit curiosity without you realizing it.
Once these answers are clear, it is important to recognize weaknesses and threats when creating SMART goals to overcome any issues. Leaders can improve their employees’ results through coaching conversations, reinforcing strengths, and guiding them toward practical, achievable next steps.
Measurement Three: Curiosity’s Impact On Business Outcomes
The way to determine if there is a correlation between curiosity and productivity is to ensure you measure things like innovation, engagement, turnover, and all the things that organizations traditionally measure at the same time you measure curiosity levels and curiosity inhibitors. That is where you can begin to see signs of improvement. I suggest measuring these things six months after taking the assessments and again annually. All these measurements are important, but they cannot tell you anything if you don’t create the culture changes after getting the baseline measurements.
Strategies To Create A Culture Of Curiosity At Work
So, now that you know how to measure curiosity, it is important to remember that measurement alone does not create change. Leaders must turn those insights into action before curiosity can take hold across the organization. How do you create a culture that embraces it at work? The most effective strategies ensure that leaders model the behavior they want to see. They ask questions in meetings, welcome ideas early in the process, and make it safe for employees to admit when they are unsure. They must listen without judgment and give people time to explore. Curiosity must feel expected and not just another thing that is all talk and no action.
When curiosity becomes a measurable, supported habit, organizations become more adaptable, more resilient, and better positioned to outperform competitors who stay locked in old patterns. The real trick is to ensure curiosity is measured, tracked, and strengthened. When leaders give it structure and treat it with seriousness, it becomes a driver of performance. Stronger curiosity leads to stronger thinking, stronger collaboration, and stronger results. It becomes a signal of what an organization can achieve when people feel free to explore.