Curiosity and Your Career

I’ve always been a curious person, sometimes to a fault in being labeled “nosey.”  But while unchecked curiosity can turn into pure nosiness (the kind that “killed the cat”), a healthy sense of curiosity can help your career. 

When we think of the qualities of great leaders, curiosity doesn’t always make the list.  However, in recent conversations with corporate leaders and biographical reading on people such as Thomas Jefferson, it has stood out to me that curiosity is/was indeed a central component of their personalities and, ultimately, helped lead to their success.  The idea was cemented with me when I heard Jim Tressel, former Ohio State head football coach and now president at Youngstown State University, list curiosity as one of five elements for success in a recent talk with students.  So, how do I see curiosity play out for leaders and aspiring leaders?

First, curiosity is a differentiator in the workplace because few make the time to learn more than what’s needed, or perceived to be needed.  If I tried to work continuing education and learning into my everyday priorities, I would inevitably fail.  With the current demands placed on many professionals, finding time to explore new ideas or understand broader concepts is a challenge.  Therefore, time must be invested outside of normal working hours to learn more about your customers, your products/services, your organization and the marketplace within which your organization operates. 

I recently spoke to an aspiring sales leader, Joe, who sold a product in a highly regulated marketplace.  The product Joe was selling, by itself, was a commodity and success was highly correlated with having the best price.  During the conversation, I uncovered that one way to differentiate the product was by demonstrating no lapses in compliance with the marketplace regulations.   Unique to this individual, Joe also holds a law degree.  I asked whether he understands all of the regulations that his customer must comply with in the normal operation of business, and how the product he sold made it easier to comply with all of these regulations.  For Joe, perhaps selling his knowledge of the broader regulatory environment (particularly given his legal background) was a way to focus the buying decision on more than just price.  But, while Joe filled his work day researching prospects, making sales calls and preparing proposals, time to research the broader regulatory environment his customers operated within would require additional time and effort. 

In his recorded remarks to students, Jim Tressel correctly points out that when curiosity weans, complacency sets in.  When we get in the habit of going through the motions, without thinking whether the motions actually make sense or could be improved, we ultimately become complacent with our performance and output.  This complacency limits our future success.  Curious individuals look for ways to improve, seek additional information and propose new, more efficient and effective ways of delivering value to the organization and its customers. 

Certainly, we can expand this topic to other aspects of the workplace and to our personal lives as well.  We'll save this for another time.  For now, I welcome your thoughts, input and experiences.  

More to come on this topic, and I welcome your thoughts, input and experiences. 

October's Stewardship Message

Stewardship Message

By:  Mike Stull

Greetings by way of Columbus!  It’s been six years since I served as Chair of the Stewardship Committee and I’m excited to be back in that role. 

You may be scratching your head wondering why someone 150 miles away wants to commit to this kind of involvement.  Are there no churches in Columbus for Mike to attend?  Well, yes there are plenty of good churches in Columbus and I’ve enjoyed attending a multitude of different denominations and sizes.  My church just isn’t in Columbus.  Perhaps more appropriately, my church FAMILY isn’t in Columbus.

My church family has helped shape me.  It started with an invitation from the Souders and Eaton families while we were neighbors in Sebring to attend VBS.  Sunday School was a weekly commitment and I learned about Jesus’ plan for my life from dedicated teachers like JoAnn Jones.  Dorothy Campbell led Alpha Teens, which created friendships with others I may not have formed otherwise. 

Like others, I slipped away during college, but was invited back by my Dad to hear this new interim preacher, Dr. Jim Doty.  At 23, I began serving on Session at the invitation of Lee Wisler and my ideas of Christianity and the role of the church were molded, stretched, inspired and flipped upside down by mentors like Fred Whitney, Bettie Thompson, Hugh Pratt, Irene and Stanley Sams, Janet Wisler, Wade Souders, Dee McClellan, Mary Nelle Bertolini (also my favorite first grade teacher!) and a host of others. 

Dorothy Campbell nudged me once to take on the Youth Group and I laughed and shook my head no.  She nudged again and I agreed.  From our weekly meetings to bowling to lock-ins at F.A. Sebring to helping out around the community, five years of youth group ministry gave me purpose in helping change young people’s lives, while they changed mine! 

My Mom participated on the pastor nominating committee and was excited about a pastor they found.  Marty Radcliff came to Sebring Presbyterian Church and the first adjective that came to my mind after meeting him was “genuine.”  I’ve learned a lot from Marty, whether in the pew, conversing on Facebook or listening to archived sermons online. 

God’s church exists to change lives, to help redeem a fallen and imperfect world.  Some changes are subtle and occur over time.  Some changes are more dramatic.  The community of believers we call Sebring Presbyterian Church can change lives.  I know it because I’ve lived it.   I’m so very excited to see what changes are in store next!    

Knowing what I know

Do you believe in God?  I muse at the answer of some that they "live in a scientific age" and that "science disproves God."  I believe this answer confuses the ideas of knowing empirically versus a different type of knowing that is harder to explain.  For example, I know that two plus two equals four. I know if I jump up, I will fall back to earth.  Still others believe that their ability to explain creation (ie. gravity) means that it wasn't created.  The universe is larger than people in 1900 believed, so there is no God?   So, many dismiss the idea of God because they can't empirically quantify or observe Him.  Or, they've quantified or empirically observed more of creation, so that means there is no God.

So how does one know that they love someone?  How does one know what is beautiful?  Does science also disprove love and beauty?  Isn't this a different type of knowing?  Curious your thoughts.

The Best is Yet to Come...

I'm reading this morning the Gospel according to John through a commentary by N.T. Wright.  I've stumbled across the story of the wedding in Cana.  Most know it well:  They're attending the wedding and the wine runs out.  Mary (the mother of Jesus) asks Jesus to do something and, although his time has not yet come, he turns the water into wine.

Perhaps the more interesting part to me, and something that Wright touches on in his commentary, is what the head servant says to the Groom:  "What people normally do is to serve the good wine first and the worse stuff when people have had plenty to drink.  But you've kept the good wine until now." John's Gospel is full of hidden meaning, and the thought that ran through my head this morning has to do with our own lives - is this as good as it gets?  We believe we are running the good race, fighting the good fight - but can we be better?  Is the best yet to come?  If so, how do we get it?

Surely, the bride and groom thought they were serving their guests pretty good wine at the beginning of their wedding.  But when Jesus got involved, his version of the wine was much better than what the hosts had prepared.  How can we relate?  I said in my last post that some think of Christianity as a straight jacket, but it's just the opposite -  we can actually live life more fully...we can be more human!  Some, including me, think I'm living a pretty good life.  But maybe there's something more - perhaps we need to invite Jesus into our parties - our lives - a little more often?  When someone sees our lives after Jesus puts his touch on them,  will they ask why we waited so long to give the world the best part of us?  Indeed, the best is yet to come!

A New Start

I've been inspired to write short blog entries as a way to share what I'm learning through study and experience.  I find that in our limited lifetimes, we rely on the wisdom and evaluated experiences of others to help us make decisions, get through tough times and find ultimate purpose - we simply can't do it by ourselves and be any good at it!  The title was inspired by a country song "From My Front porch Looking In."  We always think of the beautiful views we may have from inside of a house, hotel, etc.. looking out, but what would people think who were looking in?  The song writer says "the view he likes the most is his front porch looking in" (the view of his family)! 

Most of what I read deals with religion and faith.  Many of my posts will deal with everyday issues and my inner reflections on how I hope I and others look at themselves in relation to those issues.  I hope you find the observations thought provoking and applicable to your own process of "looking inside."