Stefaan van Hooydonk

1. Curiosity: The Key Element for Creating a Winning Culture (For Senior Executives)

Every person is born with a healthy dose of curiosity. Some people can maintain this level through adulthood, many however see their original strength diminish over time. The same happens with systems like start-ups. Early start-ups have a high predisposition to exploration, only to see that this mindset deteriorates once the company expands, focuses on efficiency, conforms to rigid standards, and finds it harder to learn from mistakes.

Curious organisations are winning organisations. They are intentional about how they balance exploration and exploitation. Curious organizations are more successful than incurious ones, especially in times of change. Not only are they constantly looking for ways to improve their current operations, but they are also constantly scanning the industrial horizon for new opportunities.

In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important in our professional life and our organizations, and reflect on strategies to get better at it.

2. Leading with Curiosity (For People Managers)

The shadow a manager casts on the team is one of the biggest drivers of productivity, engagement, and the feeling of well-being of the team. Those managers who do this well, uplift the team. Those who don't stifle it. The key to effective task management and people leadership is curiosity.

Curious leaders are good at operationalizing the present as well as securing the future. They create psychological safety for the team to thrive. Curious leaders represent a high level of cognitive, empathic, and self-reflective curiosity. They are curious about the

world around them, the people they work with, and their own internal conscious and unconscious drivers. They go out of their way to engage with their team, also in times of stress. They stretch their teams to excel in the present and embrace the future.

In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important for leaders, professionals, and teams, what the barriers are and what leaders can do to get better at intentional curiosity for themselves and the people in their care.

3. Master Your Curiosity to Master Your Life (For Professionals)

Every person is born with a healthy dose of curiosity. Some people can maintain this level through adulthood, many however see their original strength diminish over time.

Those individuals who maintain high levels of productive curiosity are called A-players. They are intentional about how they show up curiously to the world and to the people around them. They are not afraid to question themselves or challenge the status quo with humility. They learn more than others and are better equipped to face changes around them. In many organisations, these A-players are the minority. Why is this?

In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important in our professional life, what its barriers are, and reflect on strategies to get better at it.

4. The Power of Curiosity (For HR Professionals)

Curiosity is hot. The world as we know it is not the same anymore in the post-covid era. In times of change, Leaders are starting to realise that they need to be both pursuing operational efficiency as well as openness towards an unknown future. Those companies that balance both exploitation and exploration well remain competitive. Yet why is this renewed focus on exploration and curiosity so hard for companies?

Intentional Curiosity is of paramount importance in times of change. The implications of this fundamental change for HR are vast. Not only does HR need to embrace this concept within their own ranks and reinvent themselves, they also need to embark on a journey to ensure curiosity is embedded in recruitment, onboarding, talent management, and talent development processes.

In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important for the workplace, what the barriers are, and what HR can do to get better at intentional curiosity for themselves and the people in their care.

5. The Power of Curiosity in L&D (For Learning and Development Professionals)

Curiosity is hot in L&D. Curiosity is the initial spark which ignites learning and growth, creativity and innovation. It also creates deeper relationships and allows people to become intently aware of their values, beliefs and biases. In times of stability, curiosity and exploration is marginalised, in times of volatility like we are now, it comes to the forefront. Many L&D teams are already exploring how to redesign their strategy with curiosity at the centre and best practices are emerging.

The implications of the changing industrial landscape and consequently the way people grow and learn are indeed vast for L&D. L&D leaders and their teams have the opportunity to step up and embrace this concept within their own ranks and reinvent themselves. They can also embark on a journey to mobilize the leaders and employees to get better at curiosity with novel learning solutions. Furthermore, more broadly they have the opportunity to redesign the way their organisations and professionals learn, unlearn and relearn.

In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important for the workplace, what the barriers are and what L&D can do to get better at intentional curiosity for themselves and the people in their care.