Happy Spring!  

I hope you are all diving into this new season with a healthy dose of curiosity. I’ve been getting curious about iAspire, the agency’s new employee intranet, and have enjoyed reading about the work we are accomplishing every day, seeing pictures of you all and the people we support enjoying spring activities, and seeing how much you all value each other in the kudos section. Approaching a new season or learning a new tool with curiosity is the same approach I’ve asked you to take with the work that we do in service to the Aspire community.

The eager desire to know or learn about something is helpful when exploring a new tool such as iAspire. It’s also essential to the culture we are trying to build at the agency. Curiosity—about the people we serve, about each other, about what is possible—drives innovation in our services. Curiosity is the energy we need to develop and grow into the people and organization we want to become.

Curiosity is also at the core of bringing about person-centeredness at Aspire. When we ask questions and get curious about the person we support or the people we work with, we are setting ourselves up to hear something we didn’t know before. This hearing is the first step in understanding and relating to the people around us. And we know true understanding is transformational—both for the person understanding and the person being understood.

No matter our role at Aspire, each of us has a responsibility to maintain a person-centered perspective. One of the best ways we can do this is through curiosity. Consider the impact these questions might have on your work or the people you serve: 

What opportunity, connection, or autonomy will result from that decision?

• What voices need to be included to reflect the diversity of the Aspire community?

• How can I support you to have a meaningful experience?

• What did you learn?  

• What can I learn from you right now?

Sometimes the answers will be clear. Other times, you might need support to understand what a person is trying to communicate. Consider these situations as opportunities to collaborate with colleagues who may be able to help you. Let questioning, or curiosity guide you in your journey. The universe will reward that curiosity with new knowledge and insights.

Cultivating curiosity, asking questions with a genuine desire to learn, can open new paths for growth, learning, and person centeredness.

Sincerely,
Lou