S3E3. The Corporate Benefits of Curiosity with Jeff Olsen

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic
of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it
important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in
our work, homes and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll
also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something
new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.


In this episode, Frances speaks with Jeff Olsen, president and
CEO of Boart Longyear – the world's leading provider of drilling
services, drilling equipment, and performance tooling for mining
and drilling companies. Jeff talks about the role curiosity plays
in the corporate culture at Boart Longyear and what he and his
team do to make sure they are hiring and nurturing curious
employees.
Episode Quotes:

On the challenges of managing a global business…


(4:23) “Because we work in so many different parts of the world,
we have the danger [of solving] the same problem in different
parts of the world in a different way. And sharing those
solutions is a really hard thing to do.”


On the value of curiosity across operations…


(5:38) “Finding new ways to do things is about sharing good
ideas, and sharing good ideas is often about curiosity.”


(12:46) “I don't think there's too many industries out there that
don't need to keep reinventing themselves to stay relevant.”


On how Boart Longyear fosters a culture of
curiosity… 


(15:01) “Personally, I like to ask how people solve problems. You
know, tell me a problem and how you approached it. And the reason
why I do that is because it gives a good sense of are they
curious? Did they explore different options? How much do their
previous biases come to bear?


Or are they very open minded about how they approach a problem? I
think that mindset is actually very important.”
Show Links:

Jeff Olsen’s bio

Boart Longyear’s website