CuriosityBased

What does curiosity look like inside county government?

Julie Pham finds out in Episode 31 of Curiosity at Work with guest , CIO for Snohomish County Government — on what it really takes to lead IT in the public sector.

Viggo made the jump from private to public sector and doesn't shy away from what's different: the timelines, the accountability, the stakes. And why curiosity is the throughline that makes it work.

In this episode:

✔️ Normalizing questions and new ideas in government

✔️ Innovation funds as a tool for agile experimentation

✔️ AI as a productivity tool — not a job threat

✔️ What building a curious culture actually looks like

Bottom line: In IT, curiosity isn't a nice-to-have. It's how you stay relevant.

➡️ The podcast is live now: https://curiositybased.com/curiosity-at-work-podcast-episode-31-curiosity-in-county-it-with-viggo-forde/

👉 Explore more Curiosity at Work episodes:
https://curiositybased.com/category/curiosity-at-work-podcast/

Being helpful might be more harmful to you than you think

Have you ever felt more appreciated by strangers than by the people closest to you — or the colleagues you see every day? There may be a reason for it rooted in how influence actually works.

CuriosityBased founder Julie Pham recently attended a workshop led by exploring the six core influence principles drawn from Dr. Dr. Robert Cialdini's framework: reciprocity, commitment/consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. While these are often associated with sales and marketing, McCann applies them to how leaders show up in relationships — at work and at home.

One insight stood out: the very traits that make someone a great leader or colleague — being generous, helpful, and always available — can actually undermine their influence over time. When someone makes themselves endlessly available, others may begin to take them for granted. Team members who give the most don't always feel the most heard.

What changes when people make themselves just a little less available? The early answer is less resentment — and potentially more influence.

This is the kind of curiosity-driven reflection that CuriosityBased brings into its workshops and retreats. Understanding how influence operates can transform how teams communicate, build trust, and show up for one another.

What's your "go to" influence style — and where might there be room to grow? Share your thoughts in the comments. 👇

Image caption: A shelf at a grocery store with many missing products, possibly making shoppers desire them even more.

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🎧 Listen to Julie read the newsletter on YouTube https://youtube.com/shorts/5S7hDA_ojJs?feature=share

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✨ Julie Pham is back in a conversation you're going to want to share with every leader you know.

She joined Dr. Lola Adeyemo on the Workplaces That Work podcast to tackle a question that sounds simple, but really isn't: What does respect actually look like at work?

Here's the thing most leaders miss - just because you think you're being respectful doesn't mean it's landing that way. Intention and impact are two very different things. And when a team doesn't have a shared understanding of what respect means, tension builds quietly, often without anyone realizing where it's coming from.

Julie brings the 7 Forms of Respect® into the conversation and gets practical about what leaders and teams can actually do differently.

This episode is especially worth your time if you're:
🔹 A leader trying to build a stronger, more trusting team culture
🔹 An HR professional navigating workplace dynamics
🔹 Someone who's ever felt disrespected at work — even when no harm was intended

We'd love to know what respect at work looks like to you. Drop your answer in the comments.

▶️ Watch Rethinking Respect at Work on the Workplaces That Work podcast — live now on YouTube. 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz2EZiF1SSI

ERG.EQImindset Workplaces That Work | Rethinking Respect at Work