The Question We Skipped
We once built a project that looked flawless — beautiful decks, airtight timelines, confident decisions. Everyone was moving fast, which made us feel right. But halfway through, the cracks appeared. No one could clearly explain what problem we were actually solving.
That single moment of silence, when someone finally asked, "Why are we doing this?", cost more than any visible mistake. It revealed a culture of assumption — one that prized confidence over curiosity. We were building momentum on autopilot, not meaning.
What we learned that week changed how we work: curiosity isn't the opposite of decisiveness. It's the foundation of good work — whether you write copy, write code, or design campaigns.
The Illusion of Progress
We've all been there: the brief is in, the team is buzzing, the timeline's live. Everyone's sprinting, updating boards, checking things off. It feels like progress. But speed can hide a lack of direction.
Teams often chase activity because it's measurable. Velocity looks like victory. Yet a full calendar doesn't guarantee a clear purpose. When we skip the "why," we end up fixing what shouldn't have been built in the first place. It's what many product thinkers call decision debt — the hidden cost of choices made too fast and understood too late.
Real progress starts before the sprint — in the questions that shape it. Curiosity looks slow, but it saves time. It's not hesitation; it's design thinking in motion.
Before you act, look wider.
Keep the Reflection Going
The Growth Circle is our letter for leaders and teams shaping growth cultures — one reflection from the field, one practical framework, or one question worth exploring with your team. Practical, human, and worth your time.
The Growth Circle
Shared when it's ready. Always worth your time.
The Circle of Curiosity
In the TUMBUH CGO-Lite Framework, the first phase — Explore — exists to prevent this kind of blindness. It's where we pause before planning, listen before deciding, and ask before assuming.
Explore isn't about collecting data or writing longer plans. It's about opening your field of view before narrowing your focus. Harvard researcher Francesca Gino calls curiosity "a quiet force that improves learning and trust." In practice, that means shifting from proving what we know to discovering what we don't.
It asks questions like:
- "What's this really trying to change?"
- "Who actually feels the problem?"
- "What assumptions are we protecting?"
- "What do we not know yet?"
When teams skip this phase, everything downstream — Vision, Test, Act, Reflect — loses rhythm. Curiosity, not certainty, is what keeps the Circle alive.
Curiosity in Practice
Curiosity doesn't mean chaos. It means structure with openness. Here's how we practice it at TUMBUH before we decide or design:
| Moment | Ask This | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Before starting a project | "What's this really solving?" | Reframes tasks into impact. |
| During early meetings | "Who's this for, and what's changing for them?" | Ground decisions in empathy. |
| When you feel pressure to act | "What are we assuming that might be wrong?" | Protects you from reactive motion. |
| When you feel stuck | "What would make this easier to decide?" | Turns complexity into clarity. |
It's not about having more meetings — it's about asking better questions in the ones you already have.
Practicing Curiosity in Teams
Curiosity works best when it's safe to ask. Amy Edmondson describes this as psychological safety — a team culture where questions aren't seen as challenges but as contributions.
That doesn't require corporate programs or leadership retreats — just small, everyday habits.
- Before sending a draft, ask "What's still unclear here?"
- Before pushing code, ask "What am I assuming about this data?"
- Before launching a campaign, ask "What happens if this works too well?"
These micro-moments don't slow you down. They align your aim. When curiosity becomes part of the craft, reflection stops being a postmortem — it becomes part of the rhythm of making.
The Return on Curiosity
Curiosity pays back in compound clarity. Every honest question removes waste and tightens purpose. It's the difference between rushing to ship and learning to solve.
In teams that ask often, direction flows more clearly, rework drops, and creativity feels safer to surface. Because growth doesn't begin with more activity — it starts with meaning. And meaning appears only when someone pauses long enough to ask: "What's this really trying to change?"
Stillness finishes what curiosity starts.
Reflection
Before your next brief, sprint, or strategy session, ask aloud:
"What would we lose if we didn't do this?"
If the answer is fuzzy, take another look. Exploration isn't hesitation — it's discipline disguised as curiosity.
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Curiosity isn't something you finish — it's something you practice.
What's one question you want to hold a little longer this week?
Leave it below, or share this article with someone who needs a pause before their next plan.
