It’s a cliché that’s never been more true: change is constant. If the last few years have shown anything, it’s that at both the individual and organisational levels, the unexpected can turn everything on its head.
Which makes the ability to navigate and respond to change – sometimes referred to as resilience – all the more important in today’s workplace (whether that workplace is in an office, out and about, or at home). A growth mindset is a great enabler for managing continuous change, planned or otherwise. A growth mindset can help individuals and organisations to succeed, stay motivated, increasing confidence and managing anxiety. This post is a brief introduction to the subject, and a teaser for our upcoming free webinar (details below).
What it is a growth mindset?
The expression “growth mindset” – first coined by Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” – consists of a number of beliefs or attitudes:
- Intelligence can be developed.
- A desire for learning.
- Challenges are seen as opportunities (for improvement or learning)
- Faced with a setback or an obstacle, the response is to look for a way around, past or through; i.e. not to just give up.
- Failure (or being ‘wrong’) is a chance to learn and improve.
- Criticism is helpful (which is not to say that the way it’s delivered can’t be negative!).
- Other people’s successes are a source of inspiration, not envy.
This is basically an optimistic view of the world, believing that improvement is always possible. The contrast is with the ‘fixed mindset’ which is essentially the opposite of all of the above.
Benefits of nurturing a growth mindset
For the individual, a growth mindset supports embracing change (always better than struggling against the inevitable!) and finding a way to work through it positively. This reduces anxiety, builds psychological resilience, and boosts personal motivation in the face of challenging circumstances – all positives, whether in a professional or personal environment.
For the organisation that encourages a growth mindset as part of its underlying culture, growth mindset can be central to becoming a learning organisation in which feedback is central, and learning and positive problem-solving approaches are the norm.
Encouraging a growth mindset culture
So, how to stimulate a widespread growth mindset in the workplace? Consider the following:
- encourage people to aspire to more,
- put learning in the context of each individual’s future career,
- line managers should get to know people as individuals (personal strengths, interests, motivations, etc.),
- adopt a learning & development strategy that enables personalisation instead of so-called ‘sheep dip’ training.
Does your current workplace culture value learning and individual contribution? If you want to encourage a growth mindset, the answer needs to be a resounding ‘yes’.
As mentioned above, this post is basically a teaser trailer for a free webinar on 8th September 2023. The event is online, just 45 minutes, and will walk participants through:
- Understanding why a growth mindset is so important, on both a personal and professional level
- Strategies to embed/enhance a growth mindset
- Creating an identity of continuous growth
- Aligning individual goals to the organisation’s mission and vision
- Why developing resiliency is a key foundation for growth
To learn more about this topic, take a look at our range of growth mindset learning options.
Any questions? Give us a call on 01582 463460 – we’re always here to help.
