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Introduction
Why is a Growth Mindset Essential at Work?
There’s a common mindset trait that many successful people share. It is something that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella praises for sparking innovation.
Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg also discusses it in her book, which can be read here. Even top schools like Harvard and Khan Academy weave it into their teaching methods.
This idea is called the growth mindset, a concept first introduced by Carol Dweck, a psychologist and professor at Stanford University.
But what exactly is a growth mindset, and why is it crucial at work? We have many compelling insights to share, so let us get started!
Understanding Growth Mindset at Work
“The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.”
Carol Dweck
In Aesop’s fable of the ant and the grasshopper, the ant spends its days diligently gathering food for the winter. In the meantime, the grasshopper enjoys his time with music and leisure.
This story beautifully illustrates the concept of a growth mindset at work, showing us the value of hard work and planning ahead. It teaches us to keep our goals in sight and persist, just like the industrious ant, readying ourselves for future challenges with a cheerful spirit.
In the world of learning and self-improvement, the idea of a growth mindset at work has always fascinated me. Think of your brain as a muscle that becomes stronger the more you exercise it. That is the core idea behind a growth mindset.
It’s the belief that your intelligence and abilities can grow with dedication and consistent effort. It’s akin to reassuring yourself, “With hard work and determination, I will improve.“
So, if you want to become better at public speaking, with a growth mindset, you’d actively seek feedback, maybe join a local speaking club, and practice regularly. Similarly, if, say, you want to make smarter decisions, then you would start by reflecting on past decisions, learn from those experiences, and apply the lessons moving forward.
What a Growth Mindset Is Not
It is also very important to clarify what a growth mindset is not. It isn’t just about being born smart or talented. Neither is it about just working hard without looking for new ways to do things.
A true growth mindset is flexible and fluid, understanding that skills can improve and be developed over time.
And importantly, a growth mindset doesn’t mean ignoring useful criticism or expecting instant mastery. It’s about acknowledging and embracing feedback, and understanding that real growth takes time, patience, and continuous effort.
The opposite of growth mindset is fixed mindset. We will discuss the main differences between the two in the next section.
Growth Mindset at Work Vs. Fixed Mindset
“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.”
Arthur C. Clarke
So far, we have looked at what a growth mindset at work means. Let us also look at the other end of the spectrum: the fixed mindset.
People with a fixed mindset often think that intelligence and skills are unchangeable. They view these qualities as in-born, like a natural gift. To them, there’s no possibility for improvement or growth. In their opinion, our intelligence is determined at birth and remains constant.
Interestingly, all of us have a mix of both growth and fixed mindsets. We switch between them depending on the situation, often even without us even realizing. Our adaptive brains respond to the situations based on experiences, beliefs, and our current emotions.
For example, while working on a challenging project, with a growth mindset, I will think, “This is difficult, but I am sure I can learn from it.” I work closely with my team, brainstorm ideas and seek feedback to improve our results.
Challenges of a Fixed Mindset
On the other hand, say I have to present the project to senior executives, and my fixed mindset takes over. I might think, “I am terrible at presentations, especially in front of the Senior Leadership. What if I mess up?” This makes me feel stuck, and worse, can even trigger the ‘flight‘ response. I might avoid practicing my presentation, or even procrastinate, leading to even greater anxiety!
You can also think of a growth mindset as a supportive mentor. The mentor encourages you to keep practicing and learning new skills, especially when things get tough. In contrast, a fixed mindset is a bit like a strict referee or a judge. They point out every mistake without offering guidance or support to help you improve.
Benefits of a Growth Mindset
As you can see, the benefits of a growth mindset at work are numerous. It helps you view challenges as opportunities to grow rather than obstacles. This mindset also encourages continuous learning, making you more adaptable in a rapidly changing work environment.
In fact, a study shows that a growth mindset at work leads to higher job satisfaction and less stress. This is because it helps us see failures as learning experiences rather than reflections of our abilities.
You wouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer a nail, would you? Similarly, you can’t rely on a fixed mindset when trying to learn something new. Instead, grab your growth mindset from your mental toolbox, learn with curiosity and diligence. This way, you can be sure to hit the nail on the head!
Proven Strategies to Develop a Growth Mindset at Work
1. Self-Awareness and Reflection to Develop a Growth Mindset
You can get started with these self-reflection questions:
- Who am I?
- How has my past shaped me?
- Who do I want to be?
- What are my greatest goals and desires in my career?
- Am I taking consistent action every day to move closer to my professional dreams?
First of all, these questions encourage self-reflection on the choices and decisions you’ve made so far. You’ll start to see if your decisions are driving you towards growth and improvement.
Moving steadily toward our goals does more than just push us forward. Each step we take turns what we dream about into real achievements.
Self-reflection is crucial as it helps us understand who we are and helps us to grow. However, having a dream is just the start. Only our actions can make our dreams come true.
Furthermore, think of your mind like a map when you’re at work. Remind yourself to ignore negative thoughts because they won’t help you reach your goals. Instead, focus on what you’re doing.
Don’t forget, every day is a new chance to move forward in your career.
2. Learn from Mistakes and Move Forward
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”
Confucius
When I call something a mistake or a regret, we’ve already recognized that we did something wrong. This is halfway to turning it into a valuable learning experience!
So, to truly learn from these mistakes and develop a growth mindset at work, I ask myself three important questions:
- To help reflect on the reasons, I ask, “Why did I make this choice in the first place?“
- To extract the lesson, I consider, “What can I learn from this experience?”
- To help me plan for the future, I think about, “How can I prevent this mistake in the future?“
As we are only human, everyone is bound to make mistakes. But only people with a growth mindset learn how to take lessons from them and become stronger and more prepared for the next time.
I find this to be a true reflection of a strong growth mindset which can help us urn setbacks into success stories. Let us conclude this section with this beautiful quote by Socrates:
“Intelligent people learn from everything and everyone, average people through experience, the stupid already know all the answers.”
3. Cultivate Curiosity
Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.”
William Arthur Ward
Curiosity and a growth mindset are closely linked. Let me show you how curiosity can help develop a growth mindset and the connection between the two.
Curiosity is wanting to learn or know more about something. Curious individuals don’t just accept things the way they are, but also want to know why and how they work.
This helps them naturally seek out information and new skills. For example, it is your curiosity to learn more about adopting a growth mindset at work that brought you here to this article today.
It makes you more open to challenges. Instead of avoiding difficult tasks, you see them as a difficult puzzle which is waiting to be solved. This is a key aspect of a growth mindset. Being curious often means you are less afraid of making mistakes. You see mistakes as part of the learning process rather than something to be afraid or ashamed of.
By being curious, we identify opportunities, often disguised as problems, and creativity helps us solve them. So, as you can see, together, curiosity and creativity form a powerful combination.
I would also like to share with you some practical tips have always helped me foster creativity and develop a growth mindset.
- Always ask “why,” “how,” and “what if.” These questions lead to deeper understanding and learning.
- Seek new experiences by trying new activities, reading diverse books, and meeting different people. This broadens your horizons and enhances your curiosity.
- Practice mindfulness. I find that being mindful increases our awareness of what is happening around us. The more observant we are, the more curious we become.
So, curiosity helps you learn and grow. Use it and see how it changes your work and life.
4. Offering Praise and Positive Feedback Effectively
When it comes to praise, being specific is key. Sometimes, employees think their manager doesn’t really understand their work, making the praise seem less genuine. Instead, focus on specific actions and their impact. For example, “Thank you for staying late to finish that project. It really helped the team meet our deadline.”
While it’s great to have high standards, some leaders wait to give feedback until the final goal is reached. This is a missed opportunity. Your team will appreciate hearing about their progress and momentum along the way.
Lastly, avoid stitching on a negative when giving praise. It’s tempting to say, “Great job today, but tomorrow I need an extra 10%.” Let them enjoy the positive feedback without immediately adding a new challenge. You can always raise the bar in a separate conversation.
5. Stay Persistent to Develop a Growth Mindset at Work
In my role, I often get assigned challenging projects, which were both complex and have tight deadlines. Whether it’s technical issues, uncooperative team members, or unexpected changes, I think I have faced it all. And I can’t tell you how often I wanted to just give up!
Fortunately, I have always had mentors who guided and encouraged me to keep on keeping on!
Over time, I learnt to manage these challenges by breaking the project into smaller tasks, seeking help when needed, and adjusting my approach until I succeeded.
The most valuable lesson for me was that of persistence, which played a key role in helping me develop a growth mindset. And it can surely do the same for you too!
In life, every challenge is a learning opportunity, and persistence helps us stay focused and on track, no matter how tough things get.
By persisting, we reinforce the belief that effort leads to improvement. And it is this belief that makes us more likely to accept challenges, learn from criticism and mistakes, and see effort as a path to success.
Most importantly, when you are persistent, you also set a positive example for your colleagues. A ‘never give up attitude’ can be contagious!
This can help create a supportive work environment where everyone is encouraged to develop a growth mindset.
Let me conclude with this powerful quote by Winston Churchill, which beautifully captures the essence of persistence.
“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.”
Suggested Reading
While I was researching for this blog post, I discovered some truly fascinating articles and books. I believe these resources can offer you a much deeper understanding of our topic.
Research Articles
1. Why do beliefs about intelligence influence learning success? A social cognitive neuroscience model – PMC (nih.gov)
2. Your powerful, changeable mindset | Stanford Report
Recommended Books
1."Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck
2. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth
3. "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg
4. "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink
5. "Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential" by Barbara Oakley
If you find this information helpful, please do share this blog with your friends, family, and colleagues who might find it useful too. Your support will mean a lot to us!
Conclusion
“Why do we fall Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up!”
Batman Begins
In wrapping up, we have taken you through 5 proven strategies that can help you develop a growth mindset at work. By following them, you can broaden your outlook and horizons in your career. Over time, you’ll feel more confident, resilient and adaptable-all signs of a flourishing growth mindset.
As someone famous once said, “Your destiny lies in your own hands”. So now it is that your turn to take action and water the garden of your life!
Share your own experiences with adopting a growth mindset at work, in the comments section below.
Wishing you lots of joy, love, and good luck on your path to success!
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