Learning and Respect: A Discussion with Julie Pham, PhD

Trae Holiday recently sat down with Julie Pham, PhD, CEO of CuriosityBased and author of "7 Forms of Respect," for an insightful interview. The conversation delved into Julie's journey, the influence of her family's Vietnamese newspaper, and the motivations behind her work at CuriosityBased and her book.

Julie shared that she wasn't always naturally curious. Trained as an academic, her initial focus was on accumulating knowledge. However, her return to Seattle in 2008 to help run her family's Vietnamese newspaper during the recession shifted her perspective. She observed others building relationships and realized that curiosity extended beyond books; it involved learning from others and finding discoveries in being together. Her parents founded the first private Vietnamese newspaper in the Pacific Northwest in 1986, and while they initially didn't want her to work there, she gained valuable real-world experience running it.

Working with various ethnic media outlets during the recession led Julie to form a coalition to share resources, an experience she later recognized as a public-private partnership. After three years, she moved to the tech industry for nine years, eventually working at a non-profit advocating for the sector. There, she created a cross-sector collaboration fellowship. Julie noticed that participants who were truly curious and focused on learning thrived, while those solely focused on outcomes struggled. This realization sparked the creation of CuriosityBased in 2021.

Julie's work with CuriosityBased focuses on helping organizations create learning environments. She distinguishes between training, which is testable and one-to-many, and learning, which involves activating existing knowledge and learning from others through conversations. She believes everyone is born curious, but that curiosity can be discouraged. Her goal is to help organizations recognize their role in fostering continuous learning, acknowledging that people spend a significant portion of their lives at work. Julie shared a personal story of public humiliation during a talk, which made her realize she had been taking curiosity for granted and reinforced that it is a practice requiring self-awareness.

The conversation also focused on Julie's book, "7 Forms of Respect," which she conceptualized similarly to "The Five Love Languages." Julie observed friction in community work due to differing expectations of how people wanted to be treated. This led her to research and identify seven distinct forms of respect, recognizing that respect can be interpreted differently. She wants to encourage conversations about these differences, shifting from "do you feel respected?" to "how do you want to be respected?". Julie aims to normalize discussing "forms of respect" as easily as "love languages."

Julie also introduced the "Rubber Band Rule," a metaphor for how people stretch themselves to meet others' expectations. She emphasized the importance of knowing one's breaking points and practicing self-respect to avoid burnout. Julie defines disrespect as intentional, distinguishing it from misunderstandings or differing preferences.

Regarding the responses to her book, Julie noted that people find it liberating. She clarifies that her work is not about training people to be respectful, but about fostering curiosity around respect and understanding individual preferences. She encourages self-reflection on why people want respect in certain ways and the importance of being able to articulate those needs.

Looking to the future, Julie is excited about the possibility of slowing down, connecting, and fostering a deeper understanding. She envisions people discussing "forms of respect" regularly, not just in the workplace, but also in personal lives and family relationships. She believes respect is dynamic and relative and wants to create greater impact by encouraging curiosity about it.

For those interested in connecting with Julie or learning more about her work, she can be reached on LinkedIn, through her website, www.curiositybased.com or via email at julie@curiositybased.com.