Insatiable curiosity, inquisitive spontaneity, the capacity to observe without prejudice, and the courage to say instantly what comes to mind are firmly associated with childhood. With the passage of time, these qualities don’t disappear altogether, but remain subconsciously, especially at work, where routines and the search for certainty tend to impose. Yet, it is becoming increasingly evident that many of these childhood attitudes are, in reality, great allies in producing good work. This is not a question of becoming children again, but of refamiliarizing ourselves with the best from that stage of life, recovering some of the qualities we had as children and applying them to our work environment.

What will I learn from this article?

• The capacity to surprise oneself
• Don’t forget to play
• Imagination as a motor
• Sincerity is a virtue
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Treat everyone equally
• Not knowing is ok
• Living life with a smile

If one thing characterizes children, it’s their capacity to be amazed. It doesn’t bother them and they listen to each conversation as if it were their first, observing as if the world had just begun. Let’s imagine for a moment what would happen at work if we stopped anticipating what the other was about to say and opened up to really listening. We’d probably be more disposed to learning, discovering unexpected nuances, recognizing worthwhile ideas that the other was not even aware they were formulating. Active listening - which does not limit itself to simply hearing, but interpreting and connecting - is often impeded by routine and rushing around. Children, on the other hand, listen with all their body: with their ears, eyes and a full attention that does not discriminate between what is important and apparently irrelevant.

For children, life is a game. For adults, all too frequently life has become a succession of routines. We see leisure as an evasion, yet need to take a more positive attitude to it if leisure and play are to have a place in our lives again. When everything is play, each task becomes a creative opportunity. Just watch a child when you ask them to take plates to the kitchen. They don’t perform the task as an obligation, but as if they were piloting a spaceship, undertaking a secret mission, or overcoming an epic challenge. The task is the same, but the experience changes completely. In the process, they get involved, they enjoy themselves and learn at the same time. If we were able to introduce more imagination and purpose to our daily routine, it would make more sense. J.M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, expressed this to a tee when he said: “It is not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do that is the secret of happiness.” A simple idea, but profoundly transformative.

One of the features we most yearn for when growing up is the naturalness with which we expressed ourselves as children. Sincerity without filters, free of calculation and fear, that told of things as they were. As the years pass, we learn, and it is necessary, to measure words, consider the impact they can have on others. But, in this apprenticeship, sometimes we lose something valuable like spontaneity. It is not rare to leave a meeting with the sensation that we kept silent when we had something important to say. Prejudice, the fear of being judged by others, and the comfort of not committing ourselves, sees us saying less and less as time goes on. As such, many good ideas are left by the wayside, without even being formulated. Adults, unlike children, possess the tools to express their opinions respectfully and constructively. So, why don’t we recuperate that frankness we used to have? Incorporating childlike sincerity with adult maturity is not a contradiction, but a strength, and results in us saying what we think, as long as it is always honest and careful.

A child asks for help totally naturally, because they don’t see any risk they will lose autonomy, dignity or self-worth. He or she asks for help to complete a task, understand a game, or button a piece of clothing. Asking for help forms part of the learning process. In adult life, on the other hand, this simplicity is reduced. Sometimes, asking for help in a professional context is interpreted as a sign of weakness, as if individual competence is at stake in recognizing we don’t know something. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Collaborative work does not diminish professionalism, but multiplies it, adding experience and more solid solutions. Children are not afraid of saying “I don’t know”. Adults, on the other hand, tend to contain themselves and seek solutions in isolation. It’s important not to forget that shared knowledge is more powerful than individual, and that the “we” always achieves more than the “I”.

Children haven’t yet taken on many of the conventions which later condition our way of seeing things. Disability, race, stature and physical nature are not primary for children, as different academic studies and social initiatives have shown in recent years. For a child, the person comes before any label. When we reach adult age however, we tend to think the opposite. Any feature can become a filter through which we condition the relationship and with it impoverish the connection. On meeting the other, do we see them as a possible friend, colleague or ally? Or as someone from whom we should protect ourselves? Imagine what would occur if we allowed the child we once were to return and guide us through this first step. It would be revelatory. Asking for help would easier, collaboration more natural and teamwork more fluid.

As occurs in childhood, not knowing how to complete a task should not put our self-esteem in question. A child assumes that not knowing is a natural part of the process and asks, errs and tries again. They don’t interpret “I don’t know” as a limit, but as a starting point. In adulthood, on the other hand, it hurts us to admit this. Recognizing we don’t know something seems at times to be a sign of fragility. When we achieve an objective, we tend to minimize it, as if to celebrate it would smack of vanity. It is not. Recognizing advances, however minor they might seem, is a healthy way of boosting motivation and being aware of the progress made. Accepting that not knowing forms part of learning and celebrating what we have achieved does not make us less professional. On the contrary, it allows us to work more confidently, feeds our curiosity and helps us move forward without the fear of making mistakes.

It is rare we encounter a constantly surly or bad-tempered child. Yet adults tend to frown too easily, as if seriousness is a proof of commitment. The child inside us would remind us, not only at work but also in life, that a smile opens doors, deactivates tension and facilitates almost any meeting. The smile is also the first gesture of empathy. This invisible bridge that connects us with others before anyone has even spoken. Psychologist Carl Rogers explained this clearly when he said: “Empathy is seeing the world through the eyes of the other, not seeing your world reflected in their eyes.” Smiling is, in many cases, the simplest way to add humanity to everything we do. Remember the child we were, because it is certain that he or she would be amazed at the adult we have become.