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From Change to Curiosity
How Language and Curiosity Shape Engagement
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Change is everywhere: strategic shifts, new technologies, reorganisations, new expectations. And yet, despite decades of change management, many change initiatives still fail or stall.
One reason is often overlooked: change demands curiosity before it demands action. Under pressure, individuals and organisations tend to close down rather than open up. We move quickly to solutions, defend assumptions, and cling to what feels familiar. Language reinforces this. When change is framed as transformation projects, people often experience it as something decided elsewhere and imposed top-down.
Curiosity changes the experience of change. When change is framed as a curiosity project, it invites participation rather than compliance. Knowledge plays a critical role: when people don’t know what is coming, they become defensive; when they are informed, they can start to wonder. Curiosity helps people lean in rather than pull back.
In this session, we explore why curiosity is the hidden precondition for successful change, why it is so hard to sustain under pressure, and how leaders and HR can intentionally use curiosity — through language, transparency, and design — to make change more human, adaptive, and durable.
Stefaan van Hooydonk is the founder of the Global Curiosity Institute and the author of the bestselling book "The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto." He initially worked in investment consulting and established executive education at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in China. Van Hooydonk has held executive roles as Chief Learning Officer in Fortune 200 companies such as Nokia, Royal Philips, Cognizant, Saudi Aramco, Agfa, and Flipkart. He has lived and worked in Belgium, France, Hong Kong, China, Finland, the Netherlands, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. His most recent position was as Chief Learning Officer for Cognizant, where he oversaw learning and development for over 300,000 associates worldwide.
Stefaan van Hooydonk focuses his research on workplace curiosity within companies. He asserts that curious individuals require stimulating environments to thrive, especially during times of uncertainty when intentional curiosity becomes crucial. Utilizing diagnostics he has developed, he generates insights into what drives and impedes individuals and organizations from embracing curiosity. He provides consultation to global corporations and leadership teams to enhance their curiosity quotient, advocating for the cultivation of a robust curiosity mindset. Van Hooydonk is a sought-after speaker globally, discussing the transformative power of curiosity for professionals, leaders, teams, and organizations.
I am the 'curiosity guy'. I make leaders curious about the power of curiosity at work and all its wonderful benefits.
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