When I was in elementary school I had a teacher who fundamentally changed the way I see the world.

The teacher in question, Mr. H, would periodically bring interesting examples of science and technology to share with the class.

I don’t specifically remember any of them, but they always felt like school had stopped and we were doing something fun instead.

Like what you might see on Mr. Wizard. 

Whenever someone in the classroom would inevitably describe something like a simple chemical reaction as “weird” or “gross” he would pause and offer this bit of wisdom.

When you see something new that you don’t understand, instead of labeling it as “strange” or “weird,” just stroke your chin and say, “verrrrrry interesting.”

And so, before long, that’s what we all did.

He was asking us to put curiosity ahead of judgment.

He was asking us to give ourselves an opportunity to explore something new instead of just writing it off.

It’s a good reminder for all of us to pause. To remember we don’t know everything. To choose to be curious.

Your people are full of great ideas. Things that don’t go to plan are often full of unexpected power ups. The things that “we just can’t do here” might not be as impossible as you think.

TRY THIS: The next time you want to shut down an idea shared in a meeting because you’re sure it won’t work, hit them with a, “verrrrrry interesting.”  It’s okay to challenge their thinking, just don’t dismiss their idea out of hand. This approach will yield new ideas from unexpected places and help your people validate their thinking so their ideas get better over time.

My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets