Diane Hamilton

The hardest assumptions to reconsider are often the ones backed by a history of success. A process worked, a strategy delivered results, or an approach became familiar enough that few people consider whether conditions have changed. Drawing from Curiosity Unleashed, Dr. Diane Hamilton examines how past success can reinforce status-quo thinking and why AI makes the ability to reconsider established practices increasingly important. Through research and memorable examples, audiences learn to recognize what reinforces the status quo, separate what still works from what worked before, spot blind spots created by experience, and identify when changing conditions signal that an established approach deserves another look.

Organizations invest heavily in engagement, innovation, communication, and performance, yet many problems begin earlier, when curiosity becomes restricted. Drawing from her research and the Curiosity Code Index®, Dr. Diane Hamilton explains the four factors that inhibit curiosity: Fear, Assumptions, Technology, and Environment, and connects them to outcomes organizations already care about. Her later research with C-suite executives examined the financial impact of curiosity-driven initiatives. Audiences learn to recognize what is limiting curiosity, catch assumptions before they influence decisions, bring more information and ideas forward, and address barriers that can undermine engagement, innovation, productivity, and performance.

What happens when AI takes over work people were good at, proud of, or enjoyed doing? Work can provide competence, contribution, identity, and purpose, and learning new technology does not answer where that meaning comes from when familiar responsibilities change. Drawing from her Wiley book Adaptive Curiosity: How Humans Find Purpose in the Age of Intelligent Machines, Dr. Diane Hamilton introduces four paths to meaning: Exploration, Connection, Creation, and Influence. Audiences learn to recognize what made their work meaningful, identify where they gain energy and purpose, and use adaptive curiosity to explore new ways to contribute as AI changes roles and expectations.