START, CONTINUE, STOP: CURIOSITY

CURIOSITY: When you proactively seek to understand different points of view.

Curiosity is an inclusive leadership behavior. Practicing curiosity as a manager will be
easier if you commit and hold yourself accountable for certain actions. Read through
the examples listed below and take note of how you can customize them for your own
learning and performance goals.

Start
Check each action you plan to take to start practicing curiosity.
 Leave time in team meetings for small talk and to catch up on people’s lives.
 Learn about my team members and their work-life challenges.
 Ask for the opinions and input of team members including those who I may
not know as well.
 Continue learning.
 Participate in an employee resource group (ERG) event that represents an
identity other than my own.
 Listen to another person’s experience while withholding judgment.
 Ask my team what I can do to make their job/project better?
 After a meeting or presentation, ask, “What questions do you have?” and not,
“Does anyone have any questions?”
 Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
 Ask clarifying questions.
 Pause to listen and hear.
 Other: _____________________________________
 START, CONTINUE, STOP: CURIOSITY

Continue
Using the examples above as a starting point, think of ways you have already
demonstrated curiosity with your colleagues or team. Write down which actions you
currently do that you will continue to do.
1. ________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________

Stop
Examples of non-curious or non-inclusive behaviors to stop include:

• Assuming that everyone on my team is experiencing the same workplace and

work-life issues that I do.
• Failing to recognize, in front of influential people in the organization, the work
my team members are doing.
• Not making time to listen to or include team input on decisions, especially
regarding team procedures and processes.
• Rejecting new ideas without learning more about them first.
Using the examples above as a starting point, think of ways you may not demonstrate
curiosity. Write down which actions you will stop and what you will do instead to be
more inclusive.
For example: I will stop making assumptions about team members’ work-life
situations and have an open mindset about different lived experiences.

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________
 START, CONTINUE, STOP: CURIOSITY

Set Measurable Goals

Hold yourself accountable to your DEI goals by writing them down and making them
public to your manager, within your performance management system, or to an
accountability partner. Be sure to provide a date for when you will have acted upon
each goal.
Examples:

• I will promote DEI on my team by starting every meeting with a remote-first

mindset to ensure those team members who work remotely are not excluded.
• I will make time to get to know the unique skills of everyone on my team to
ensure I am able to tap employees from a range of backgrounds for career-
advancing opportunities.
• I will attend at least one event this year hosted by an ERG that represents an
identity other than my own.
• I will read at least one article on gender or racial bias each quarter.
• I will start and use a Slack channel dedicated to non-work-related topics.

Goals
1. _______________________________________ Date to achieve ____________
2. _______________________________________ Date to achieve ____________
3. _______________________________________ Date to achieve____________
4. _______________________________________ Date to achieve ___________

I will hold myself accountable to my manager with the following performance

goal:

___________________________________________________________________________