We Don't Know What We Don't Know

As a continuous learner, I'm very aware that there's always much, much more to learn.  One of my best ways to learn has been to be in a perpetual state of inquisitiveness.  Since we don't know what we don't know, our best options are curiosity, observing, questioning and connecting.

Luck

I've long loved a quote I originally found attributed to Shiller, but have subsequently found as Louis Pasteur's (though "favor" replaces "luck") - "Luck favors the prepared mind."  It so inspired me that I created and framed this counted cross stitch quote.

Years have unfolded and I've created my own version - "Luck favors the curious, optimistic, caring and prepared!".

Keep Looking

Last evening, Dr. Robert Ballard, best known for his 1985 discovery of the TITANTIC, fascinated Chevron's guests at a special dinner lecture as he shared information about that and many other significant undersea discoveries.  Though most of us are captivated by his many shipwreck discoveries, he believes his most important discoveries were of hydrothermal vents and "black smokers".  It strikes me that his most enduring impact will be his JASON Project, which allows hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren to accompany him from afar on undersea explorations around the globe.  His passion, experience and enthusiasm are captivating and can motivate budding young scientists to pursue technical educations.

Dr. Ballard shared that most of his greatest discoveries occurred while he was looking for something else.  What motivation that provides for all of us to persistently follow our curiosity.

Ann/Anne x 4

Five women and three men were in a strategy session this week.  I continue to find interesting connections and surprisingly, two women were named Anne and two others had Ann as a middle name.  This struck me as extremely unusual, so I searched and discovered that Ann is the 48th most common female name in America and Anne is the 85th most common.  First names of the other 3 female participants ranked 37, 101 and 568.

As extraordinary as the odds of this name frequency are, it's also amazing that we even discovered the commonality.

Everything's connected in more ways than we assume.  Curiosity helps us connect.

That Looks Good

Edgar and I walked up to our favorite neighborhood restaurant for dinner tonight.  It's always crowded on weekends, but was also booming on a Tuesday evening.  As we were leaving, Edgar spotted an intriguing dish and stopped to ask about it.  Not too surprisingly, in my "everything's connected" world, his question caused me to turn around and be able to greet a long time business friend and meet her son and husband.  We soon discovered that the yummy treat was a birthday surprise for her husband.

Perfect opportunities present themselves every day to further our relationships.  Sometimes it only requires curiosity about a tasty looking treat.

The Power of I Don't Know

I've spent most of my life with the expectation that I should know the answers.  Throughout school we are tested on the new information we learn.  And throughout our careers we are expected to know and share information to serve our customers and colleagues. 

In order to continually expand our knowledge and skills we must be willing to admit that there are things we don't know and would like to learn.  Acknowledging that we don't know something can prompt us to research, study, question and connect with others.  Providing others the chance to share knowledge is often a gift to the giver and receiver.  And when we admit that we don't have the expertise, but are able to make a referral to someone who does, we're building networks.

I love knowing the answer, but have also discovered the power of I don't know.

Curiosity Kills Cats

Though Tiger thinks I’m Mom Cat, he’s wrong.  Since curiosity is apparently a cat killer, I’d be long dead if I was a cat.  Curiosity keeps things interesting, alive, vibrant and ever-changing.

Does Everyone Else Have Twins?

Earlier this week 10 bankers hosted 13 special guests at a business luncheon. I always look for interesting connections. As I visited with three of our attendees, I became amazed that they were each the parents of twins.  Because this was definitely not a group discussion topic, it is possible that one or more of the other 10 attendees are also parents of twins.  My curiosity caused me to find the expected incidence of twins in the U.S. population.  It is 32.1 in 1000 births. 

This unusually high incidence of twins reminded me that when we look for commonalities, we will find them.  Common denominators are the fundamental building blocks of strong relationships.

Why?

"Why? is the favorite question of young children.  They are information sponges. By continuously asking, they gain incredible knowledge.  When we're stuck, we need to once again become childlike, querying ourselves and all those around us.  Children are naturally continuous learners.  As adults, we need to regress to childhood curiosity in order to progress in our thinking, outlook, perspectives and possibilities.