First comes curiosity

Any corporation today has a rich portfolio of course material, a focused curriculum for each area of expertise and Training & Development support to guide their employees in becoming highly successful professionals. All prerequisites for continuous learning have been met to ensure their workforce continues to be aligned with the challenges of today’s competitive marketplace. All of that helps but it ‘s not sufficient without the internal drive to learn. It starts with a (professional) curiosity, the urge to really understand.

The best thing that can happen to me is when I find a new way of looking at things. Innovation for me was an abstract, creative process that only came within my reach after learning about Structured Innovative Thinking (SIT). Big Data became more than a buzzword after reading Freakonomics from the economist Steven D.Levitt. Howard Gardner offered me a new paradigm to prioritize between several ways to address the challenges of the 21st century in Five Minds for the Future. Thanks to David Allen’s Getting Things Done I am able to keep control of my inbox. That is despite the overwhelming number of incoming messages. On a good day that creates “a mind like water” as the author calls it.

Sharing is it’s own reward

This type of (reading/learning) experiences I like to share with colleagues and others. Capturing the essentials in a blog or a 10 minute presentation is a fun exercise. I found that sharing stimulates others to do the same which feeds me with new ideas and insights. But I like it best if sharing ideas inspires others and kindles curiosity. Because curiosity is the beginning of everything.

So when I started my own company and created a website for that, it was very clear to me that a library should be a prominent part of that. If 2iQ will ever grow to have office space then there will be a library next to the reception. This will include large chesterfield sofas and clear reading lights next to every seat. Furthermore there will be ebooks available with a large volume of relevant literature.

For now, we have to share the experience online.