Be curious, not judgmental
Judgment is automatic on a sales floor. Curiosity takes work — and it changes what you learn and what you actually fix.
One of my favorite lines from Ted Lasso is "Be curious, not judgmental."
Sounds easy until you're standing in front of a rep who blew a big opportunity or missed something obvious for the third time this week. Judgment is free. Curiosity costs something.
I've been trying to practice it.
Instead of "Why didn't you do X?" I've been asking "What got in the way of X?" or "Walk me through how you were thinking about it." Most of the time it's not laziness. It's the process. The info they had (or didn't). A habit that used to work until the situation changed.
That shift changes the whole conversation.
When I'm curious, they actually tell me what's going on. We find the real constraint faster. And the fix is rarely "try harder." It's usually a clearer expectation, one less step, or a better system.
Same thing when I build tools.
I try to start from questions, not assumptions. What does someone need in the first 30 seconds of their shift? What are they already asking themselves that this screen should answer without a scavenger hunt? What friction keeps showing up that nobody has named out loud?
Judgment: "They should know this by now." Curiosity: "What would make this obvious?"
I'm not perfect at it. Tired days, number slipping — I default to judgment. Every time I stay curious a little longer, the coaching lands better and the fix sticks.
On the floor and in the code, curious isn't just nicer. It's more effective.