Here’s a little data point that rocked my world: according to multiple peer-reviewed studies, being in an open network — having lots of loose connections — instead of being in a closed network is one of the best predictors of career success.

So I wanted to know: can curiosity help us be better networkers — and more successful?

Consultant, coach and trainer Dana Theus’s answer: but of course!

Listen to Choose to be Curious #39: Networking with Dana Theus

…and, lest we feel too sorry for ourselves in facing the travails of networking, Elizabeth Jones of OAR (Offender Aid and Restoration) was here to remind us that we all have things to overcome — and curiosity helps there, too.

Here’s what that data looks like when graphed: pretty compelling argument for the power of building large, open networks!

[source: Ron Burt by way of Michael Simmons, The No. 1 Predictor Of Career Success According To Network Science, Forbes, Jan. 15, 2015]

Theorists call it the transformative power of attention – that things get more interesting the more attention we give them. I suppose it’s no different with people: if we bring a little curiosity into the conversation, we discover the depth and nuance that hide beneath the surface.

And, sometimes, we discover we actually like what we find…

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