Stefaan van Hooydonk is the founder of the Global Curiosity Institute and author of the bestselling book: The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto.
After working initially in investment consulting and setting up executive education at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in China, Stefaan held executive roles as Chief Learning Officer in fortune 200 companies (Nokia, Royal Philips, Cognizant, Saudi Aramco, Agfa, Flipkart). He has lived and worked in Belgium, France, Hong Kong, China, Finland, The Netherlands, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
Stefaan's last role was that of Chief Learning Officer for Cognizant, where he oversaw learning and development for over 300k associates across the globe.
Current Work:
Stefaan van Hooydonk researches the topic of workplace curiosity in companies. He believes that curious individuals need curious environments to thrive, especially in times of turmoil, individuals and companies need to embrace intentional curiosity. With the help of a number of diagnostics he designed, he creates insights into what drives and what enables (or prevents) individuals and organisations to show up curiously.
He consults global corporations and leadership teams towards building a stronger curiosity muscle. He is a regular speaker around the world on the power of curiosity to benefit professionals, leaders, teams, and organizations.
Talking Points
Curiosity: The Key Element for Creating a Winning Culture (For Senior Executives)
Every person is born with a healthy dose of curiosity. Some people can maintain this level through adulthood, many however see their original strength diminish over time. The same happens with systems like start-ups. Early start-ups have a high predisposition to exploration, only to see that this mindset deteriorates once the company expands, focuses on efficiency, conforms to rigid standards, and finds it harder to learn from mistakes.Curiosity: The Key Element for Creating a Winning Culture (For Senior Executives)
Curious organisations are winning organisations. They are intentional about how they balance exploration and exploitation. Curious organizations are more successful than incurious ones, especially in times of change. Not only are they constantly looking for ways to improve their current operations, but they are also constantly scanning the industrial horizon for new opportunities.
In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important in our professional life and our organizations, and reflect on strategies to get better at it.
Leading with Curiosity (For People Managers)
The shadow a manager casts on the team is one of the biggest drivers of productivity, engagement, and the feeling of well-being of the team. Those managers who do this well, uplift the team. Those who don't stifle it. The key to effective task management and people leadership is curiosity.Leading with Curiosity (For People Managers)
Curious leaders are good at operationalizing the present as well as securing the future. They create psychological safety for the team to thrive. Curious leaders represent a high level of cognitive, empathic, and self-reflective curiosity. They are curious about the
world around them, the people they work with, and their own internal conscious and unconscious drivers. They go out of their way to engage with their team, also in times of stress. They stretch their teams to excel in the present and embrace the future.
In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important for leaders, professionals, and teams, what the barriers are and what leaders can do to get better at intentional curiosity for themselves and the people in their care.
Master Your Curiosity to Master Your Life (For Professionals)
Every person is born with a healthy dose of curiosity. Some people can maintain this level through adulthood, many however see their original strength diminish overMaster Your Curiosity to Master Your Life (For Professionals)
time.
Those individuals who maintain high levels of productive curiosity are called A-players. They are intentional about how they show up curiously to the world and to the people around them. They are not afraid to question themselves or challenge the status quo with humility. They learn more than others and are better equipped to face changes around them. In many organisations, these A-players are the minority. Why is this?
In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important in our professional life, what its barriers are, and reflect on strategies to get better at it.
The Power of Curiosity (For HR Professionals)
Curiosity is hot. The world as we know it is not the same anymore in the post-covid era. In times of change, Leaders are starting to realise that they need to be both pursuing operational efficiency as well as openness towards an unknown future. Those companies that balance both exploitation and exploration well remain competitive. Yet why is this renewed focus on exploration and curiosity so hard for companies?The Power of Curiosity (For HR Professionals)
Intentional Curiosity is of paramount importance in times of change. The implications of this fundamental change for HR are vast. Not only does HR need to embrace this concept within their own ranks and reinvent themselves, they also need to embark on a journey to ensure curiosity is embedded in recruitment, onboarding, talent management, and talent development processes.
In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important for the workplace, what the barriers are, and what HR can do to get better at intentional curiosity for themselves and the people in their care.
The Power of Curiosity in L&D (For Learning and Development Professionals)
Curiosity is hot in L&D. Curiosity is the initial spark that ignites learning and growth, creativity and innovation. It also creates deeper relationships and allows people to become intently aware of their values, beliefs and biases. In times of stability, curiosity and exploration is marginalised, in times of volatility like we are now, it comes to the forefront. Many L&D teams are already exploring how to redesign their strategy with curiosity at the center and best practices are emerging.The Power of Curiosity in L&D (For Learning and Development Professionals)
The implications of the changing industrial landscape and consequently the way people grow and learn are indeed vast for L&D. L&D leaders and their teams to have the opportunity to step up and embrace this concept within their own ranks and reinvent themselves. They can also embark on a journey to mobilize the leaders and employees to get better at curiosity with novel learning solutions. Furthermore, more broadly they have the opportunity to redesign the way their organisations and professionals learn, unlearn and relearn.
In this interactive session, we explore what we know about curiosity, why it is important for the workplace, what the barriers are and what L&D can do to get better at intentional curiosity for themselves and the people in their care.
Video
Learning technologies conference 2022 | Stefaan Van Hooydonk
Stefaan Van Hooydonk is the founder of Global Curiosity Institute, a venture supporting and promoting curiosity among people and business leaders. Stefaan talks about the venture that he established as he realized life values while working with several organisations. He narrates how he observes a certain group of people who were always reading and trying to learn new things, but not all organizations support the curious nature.Super thanks for a truly inspiring, enriching, and thought-provoking session! ... keep reading Executive Networks
It was wonderful meeting you again Stefaan! Your session was the most insightful at the London Learning Technologies 2022 conference.
Stefaan has proven an excellent speaker choice at the events I chair. He is clearly deeply knowledgeable about workplace curiosity and is able to share his expertise in an engaging way with his audience. He backs this up with his global experience as a Chief Learning Officer in large corporations, which provides real gravitas and credibility. There's no doubt that Stefaan is providing leading thinking and practice in this field and I have no hesitation in recommending him.
I was overwhelmed by its color and preciseness. Many of the aspects that were brought forward are on our agenda, and the research you presented gives us confidence that we are on the right track. Also, the simplicity you used in describing forces, behaviors, etc. really appealed to me. And the Individual/Team/Organization perspectives align well with the way we understand Lifelong learning in the company context. This session is really valuable for us. Thank you so much for making the effort!
