Maren Hogan

At Red Branch, we made it our mission to individually define each of our company values. Every Brancher is unique, so their definition of a word should reflect that. Last week, in our mini 12 part series, we uncovered each brancher’s secret to having grit. This week we dive into the value of curiosity.

Our website defines curiosity as “Don’t know the answer? Find your way to it but never ignore the question.” Check out our answers below to see how we define this value… well, that is, if you’re . . . CURIOUS.

Quotation

Curiosity means never being satisfied with the pat answer and always learning something new. If you’re not a little curious about what something is and WHY something is, you probably don’t belong at the Branch.
– Maren
@marenhogan

Quotation

Curiosity is the unending desire to learn and improve. In my job, when I come across a website doing really cool animations or advertising which is effectively targeting me, I will dive in to see how it’s happening on the back-end, so we can effectively emulate that for our clients. If I haven’t run into it before, all the better. It just means more to learn and research. –
Jeremy
@jphogan

Quotation

Curiosity is always wondering “why?” Things may work out well, things may not go as planned, but what is important to RBM is knowing WHY things happen and that’s why curiosity is a core value here. We dive into the WHY for everything that we do because when we are better informed, we can provide better results for our clients.
– Eric
@erockfoutch

Quotation

We don’t always know the answer, but chances are, we are going to do our research and find out. Curiosity helps us to constantly improve our work to be the trailblazers and never get left behind in the ever-changing world of marketing.
– Kerry
@kerrypivovar

Quotation

For me, curiosity means having the drive to take a step back and look at your work from a different perspective to ask yourself, “what can I do to make this even better?” This forces you to do research and learn new methods, processes and techniques to apply to your project in order to push the envelope so the results can be a step above.
– Kyle
@KyleJCDesign

Quotation

Curiosity at Red Branch Media means not just accepting the answer, “That’s the way it is,” but continuously asking why, who, what, when, or where to get to the bottom of a question and not stopping until you do. Finding and dissecting the answers to these questions helps us stay better informed and ultimately be better advocates and strategists for our clients.
– Shalaina
@ShalainaRBM

Quotation

Curiosity means never stop learning. We should be excited to learn and try new things. New isn’t always scary. It can make processes faster and improve efficiency. When a team is curious, they are proactive and not reactive.
– Kristine
@4KRISTineSake

Quotation

They say curiosity killed the cat. But I say that’s a load of bull. Curiosity is the only thing that keeps us learning and growing. It is the cornerstone of anything I’ve done that’s mattered because there isn’t always a person there to teach me what I needed to know. Curiosity is about self-motivation, self-efficiency, and the hunger that any team needs to feed that part of them that needs to get shit done.
– Bach
@RedBachMedia

Quotation

Curiosity is the pursuit, discovery and eventual understanding of the unknown. Always striving to learn and grow is what separates the curious from the stagnant. Avoiding ‘the way we’ve always done it’ is crucial to foster curiosity.
– Kaleb
@kalebvik

Quotation

Curiosity to me is exploring the unknown, finding new ways to improve a process or completely reinvent it. Without curiosity, we would be stuck in the same routines, same old tricks and processes and never truly figure out what potential we have. I have to be curious in my job daily, with new technology and platforms evolving I’m constantly asking questions and teaching myself something new.
– Molly
@Molly_RBM

Quotation

Curiosity, derived from the Latin “cūra” meaning “care, concern, or worry,” is me sitting and harrumph-ing, wrapped up in a blanket in the comfy corner at Red Branch (the east wing of the office with a couch and comfortable chairs to lounge in) as I sift through endless competitor blogs wondering how I can beat their content. It’s the rapid clicking and clacking of typing fingers on laptop keyboards as my coworkers search, inquire, and inspire while trying to find the best hidden and emerging web-based tools. Curiosity is seeking to improve our job functions and productivity levels every single day. It’s both exhilarating and slightly frightening, but it’s what drives our hunger for new discoveries and workplace improvements.
– Jimmy
@RedBranchJimmy

Quotation

Curiosity, to me, is the ‘Why?’ and the ‘What if? It’s the questions we ask ourselves every day at Red Branch. It’s having the mindset that there are always ways to improve and the willingness to find out how to get it done.
– Alison
@Alison_RBM

Quotation

Curiosity is having the constant itch for more knowledge. To look at a process or problem and explore a variety of ways to address it and improve. Curiosity is fostered at the Branch. Here we are taught to be uncomfortable with the status quo and to always strive for improvement — for our clients, our business and ourselves.
– Maggie
@maggie_rbm

Quotation

Curiosity is stepping out of your comfort zone to explore new ways of doing things. At Red Branch Media, we have a mindset that there is always more to learn. This leads to expanding our skills, improving the way we complete tasks and, occasionally, failing to the point where we realize that our original way was the most efficient.
– Anna
@RBM_Anna

Quotation

Curiosity is an inquisitive mindset we adopt at Red Branch. We are constantly digging for answers. Curiosity is embracing uncertainty with open arms and hunting down the truth behind the question at hand. Curiosity is learning something new every day by welcoming daily challenges so you become a more well-rounded individual.
– Nick
@NickRBM

Quotation

Curiosity is never settling with a process or an answer you don’t like. Find a new way to do something that betters your company or research an answer you think is a better fit for the question.
– Cassie
@RBM_Cassie

Quotation

For me, curiosity is never settling for not knowing something or not having an answer. At the Branch, I strive to learn more or find out new things I’ve always relied on others to know. It’s the desire to continue learning everything you can.
– Madison
@RBM_Madison

Quotation

Curiosity is never getting in a routine. Yes, your methods might have worked in the past, but how can you improve? Curiosity is doing the research and answering the question “how can I be better?”
– Mackenzie
@Mackenzie_RBM

Quotation

Curiosity means not only maintaining low uncertainty avoidance, but continuously learning beyond an unanswered question, understanding our locus of control, and increasing our capabilities to present better solutions. Curiosity killed the cat, but we brought it back.
– Mitchell
@mitchell_RBM

Quotation

For me, curiosity is having a constantly open and seeking mind to learn and grow our knowledge, to always be searching to find the reason why and the how to. It’s an endless journey in learning and discovery, that surprises, challenges, and delights every day.
– Andrea
@RMB_Andrea

Quotation

Curiosity is always wanting to learn more. It is being curious that enables us at Red Branch to constantly be on top of what’s new. Without curiosity, everything would be boring. Red Branch is far from boring because each and every day our curiosity leads us to answer questions and implement new ideas better than the day before.
– Hannah
@Hannah_RBM

Quotation

Curiosity is the constant questioning of what’s to come next or what I can do better. I use my curiosity at Red Branch to explore and research ways that can help my clients stand apart from their competitors and succeed overall.
– Jessica
@Jessica_RBM

Quotation

Curiosity for me is having the constant drive to want to further my knowledge and always wanting to learn more. At Red Branch, I am constantly wanting to learn more about how I can improve and grow throughout my role to go beyond my normal expectations.
– Tridia
@Tridia_RBM

Curiosity is just one of Red Branch’s core values. Interested in seeing the other core values? Check them out here.

This article originally published on the Red Branch Media Blog by the Branchers.

About Maren Hogan:                

Maren Hogan is a seasoned marketer, writer and business builder in the HR and Recruiting industry. Founder and CEO of Red Branch Media, an agency offering marketing strategy and outsourcing and thought leadership to HR and Recruiting Technology and Services organizations internationally, Hogan is a consistent advocate of next generation marketing techniques. She has built successful online communities, deployed brand strategies and been a thought leader in the global recruitment and talent space. You can read more of her work on Forbes, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and The Red Branch Media Blog.