Rediscovering the sense of wonder in your team

Curiosity is the desire to find out what something is, how it works, what it does. It is the foundation of intelligence. As technology continues to upend the world and everything we know, cultivating a sense of wonder in your team can give you a competitive edge.

When Danielle Krettek Cobb, founder of the Google Empathy Lab, was in Auckland to present at the Spark Future State event, we asked her how People Leaders can help their teams remain curious and open to new ideas.

She cited the work of her scientific partner, Dr. Alison Gopnik, who talked about Lantern Awareness and Spotlight Awareness, ascribing the former to babies and toddlers, and the latter to adults.

Lantern Awareness

Lantern Awareness is where you’re taking in the world, you’re aware, there is a larger light that’s illuminating your experience.

Babies have Lantern Awareness because everything they encounter is new.

Spotlight Awareness

Spotlight Awareness is where you are deliberately focused on certain things that you need to know and understand.

Adults have spotlight awareness because they must get stuff done, and they’ve learned spotlight awareness because it is very useful to be clear about the tasks you have to do, to get through the day.

As we enter the new age of AI, where the pace of change is speeding up, Danielle suggests we, “might turn towards lantern awareness to ensure we remain curious and open. Thinking not just about what is probable, based on what we know, but also what is possible, because of the things we are yet to discover.”