One of the more subtle shifts we can make in our working practice, yet one of the most powerful, is to stay curious. It’s deceptively simple. But in a world of deadlines, budgets, and shrinking headspace, curiosity is often the first thing to go. 

This conversation formed the heart of the third session in our More Bang for Your Buck webinar series, which looks at how to work smarter, not harder. We’ve explored the power of a good brief, and how revisiting existing data can reveal more than expected. This time, the focus turned to curiosity; what it unlocks, and why it’s so essential for staying relevant and useful in insight work. 

A world that values certainty 

There’s a comfort in knowing; in having the answer; in sticking with what’s worked before. And there’s often pressure - internal and external - to show up with a clear, confident solution. But that tendency can quickly lead to repetition: same tools, same lenses, same outcomes. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with consistency. But when it becomes the default, it limits our view. Outcomes start to feel stale. Research begins to surface the same stories. And we risk missing what’s changing underneath. 

What helps in these moments is the ability to ask: Are we looking at this the right way? Are we still asking the right questions? What’s changed? 

Curiosity doesn’t always mean finding something radically new. Often, it’s simply about stepping back. Shifting the frame. Asking whether the assumptions we’ve held, about people, categories, behaviours, still hold. And being open to the possibility that they don’t. 

Being stuck isn't always obvious 

What makes a rut hard to spot is that it doesn’t always feel like one. Things are still moving. Projects get delivered. Deadlines are met. But the signals are there. Results that no longer spark discussion. Insights that feel strangely familiar. Conversations where no one seems especially surprised. 

In these moments, a curious mindset offers a quiet form of challenge. It brings energy and oxygen. It asks not just what are we hearing? but why are we hearing this again? Is it a genuine truth, or an organisational echo? Are we picking up something that hasn’t shifted, or are we failing to notice the shift? 

And occasionally, when the same answer keeps coming up, it’s not about methodology at all. Sometimes there’s an uncomfortable truth sitting just beneath the surface. Something the business has heard before but hasn’t yet worked out how to engage with. 

Curiosity creates space to explore those truths without jumping to conclusions. To poke at them, gently. To understand the nuance. To ask whether we’re responding to the real issue, or just circling it. 

The quiet influence of bias 

We all carry biases. They’re shortcuts - tools that help us process a busy world. But they can also close off possibilities. In insight work, one of the most pervasive is confirmation bias: that subtle relief we feel when the data supports what we already believed. 

That moment of confirmation feels efficient, even satisfying. But it can also be limiting. Just because a finding feels familiar doesn’t mean it’s useful. Familiarity isn’t insight. And if a project consistently confirms existing thinking, it’s worth asking: are we really seeing what’s there, or what we expect to see? 

Awareness is the first step. But more practically, curiosity offers a way through. It invites us to listen with less certainty. To notice when a story is becoming too neat. To sit with perspectives that don’t quite fit our internal narrative. And that can be uncomfortable. But it’s often where the work gets interesting. 

Seeing beyond the internal story 

One of the most useful things research can do is hold a mirror up to the internal view, and show where it might be out of sync with the world outside. 

It’s easy to become insulated. Especially in larger businesses, where internal knowledge is deep, and shared language runs strong. In those environments, blind spots aren’t always born of neglect, they can be the product of too much alignment. Everyone sees the same landscape. Which makes it harder to spot what’s been left out. 

Bringing in new voices helps. From other departments, from unexpected consumer groups, from partners who haven’t worked in the category before. It doesn’t mean dismissing expertise, it’s about broadening the lens. Creating the conditions where someone can ask, “Why is it like that?” without being seen as naive. 

Sometimes, it’s those questions that shift a conversation most. 

Curiosity vs change 

There’s a subtle distinction that matters here. “Embracing change” can feel heavy. Imposed. Final. It suggests something decided elsewhere, that now must be accepted. Curiosity works differently. It’s lighter. More exploratory. 

Curiosity doesn’t ask for commitment. It simply asks that we stay open. That we entertain the idea of something new - even if we don’t pursue it. It invites play, experimentation, possibility. 

And interestingly, that openness often creates more buy-in than top-down change ever could. Because when people feel part of the thinking, when their perspectives are considered, they’re more likely to shift voluntarily. Not because they’ve been told to, but because they’ve seen something they didn’t see before. 

Practical curiosity 

It’s easy to talk about being curious, but what does it look like in the day-to-day? 

Sometimes it’s as simple as asking a follow-up question. Where did that assumption come from? What’s the history behind this belief? Or it might be noticing when something doesn’t land. Noticing when someone reacts defensively, or seems thrown by a line of questioning. Those moments are data too. They often mark the edge of a deeply held view, and that’s usually where fresh insight lies. 

Curiosity also means being generous with questions. Accepting that someone else’s “obvious” might be your unknown, and vice versa. It encourages people to check their understanding, even when it feels obvious. Because clarity is better than assumption. And what’s clear to one person may not be to another. 

In fast-paced projects, that can feel like a luxury. But in reality, it often saves time. It surfaces misalignment early. It prevents misunderstandings. And it creates a shared sense of purpose, which is where the best thinking comes from. 

Staying open 

Finally, there’s the personal side of curiosity. Because it’s not just a professional tool - it’s a way of showing up. And it requires self-awareness. 

There will always be moments that challenge what we believe. That hit a nerve. That make us want to defend. The key is noticing that reaction, and pausing. Giving ourselves the space to ask: What’s behind this feeling? What is it about this idea that feels threatening or uncomfortable? 

That moment of reflection isn’t always easy. But it’s where change, real, meaningful change, often begins. Not imposed. Not dictated. But chosen. 

So perhaps that’s the shift to aim for. Not to chase constant reinvention. Not to doubt everything. But to stay open. To ask better questions. And to listen, not just to confirm what we know, but to be changed by what we hear. 

Challenge Assumptions. Talk to Hummingbird Insights