Creating a Growth Mindset

The growth mindset, a notion coined by researcher Carol Dweck, holds that potential is unfixed and that skills and abilities may be developed through interest, practice, and conscious effort. A person who has a growth mentality loves challenges and sees failures as chances to grow and learn. This is a well-founded assumption since neuroscience shows that when we put in the effort to better ourselves, our brain adapts and gets more capable.

A person with a fixed mindset, on the other hand, believes that their traits and skills are set in stone. They struggle to overcome problems and react emotionally when faced with challenges. They see failure as a potential threat to their identity.

A fixed mindset becomes fixated on results, whereas a growth mindset places more emphasis on the process, learning, and journey.

Focusing on a growth mindset as a manager could be an essential component of your success!

How does having a growth mentality impact my management style?

The ability to pay attention to information that conflicts with expectations and presumptions about their personnel is better displayed by managers who have a growth mentality. In reaction to changes in performance on their team, they are also seen to be more data-driven. When it comes to behaviours and performance, maintaining a growth mindset enables managers to confront their prejudices and make better judgments based on the facts.

On the other hand, managers with a fixed attitude are less inclined to provide their staff with coaching and feedback, particularly if they believe that they are less capable. They also have trouble getting helpful criticism.

It's crucial that having a growth mentality is always top of mind for managers.

Using your managerial growth mentality

Take into account the following viewpoints to strengthen your growth mindset:

Gain knowledge of your own mentality.

"Notice and be interested about when you're approaching a problem with a fixed attitude, and examine how you may reframe it," advises mindfulness and leadership coach Isabel Duarte.

Consider a time when you went through an unexpectedly favourable transformation. What do you think caused those modifications? How is that kind of growth replicable?

Dweck advises posing the following inquiries to yourself:

Are there any techniques I could use to stop defending my errors?

Could I gain more from the criticism I receive?

Are there any ways I can give myself additional opportunities to learn?

Consider your behaviour toward people at work if you're managing a team. Do you place more emphasis on your own influence and accomplishments than the welfare of your staff? If you find yourself nodding in agreement, think about how you could refocus. You may, for instance, search for opportunities to acknowledge and offer your team credit for a job well done.

Utilise reappraisal methods

Anyone can use the emotional control technique of reevaluating a situation in a way that lessens threat. When facing difficulties at work, consider the following:

How might a role model feel and respond in this circumstance?

How can I change from having self-doubt to having a growth attitude that embraces challenges?

How do I recognise the other person's care?

Learn to reconsider negative circumstances and presume good intentions, advises Duarte. Try not to get caught up in the script of how you want things to go when something doesn't go as planned.

Use the force of yet!

Instead of declaring "I can't do this," change your statement to "I can't do this yet" when you're up against a problem you believe you can't overcome. This slight shift in perspective could have a long-term effect on your capacity to think through problems and maintain focus.

Creating a culture of growth in your team

Consider how to encourage this approach with your team after you've done the effort for yourself. Dweck presents the following concepts to think about:

Make it clear that the company rewards hard work and learning, not just talent or genius who is born with it.

It's crucial to show that abilities can be learned and to establish an environment where making mistakes while learning is acceptable. You can tell anecdotes of times when you were unsuccessful and failed at something to help your team become comfortable with the concept. Be open and honest about how you overcame challenges.

Give your team's development consideration. Are you giving your staff stretch assignments, coaching, workshops, or apprenticeships as a manager? These are excellent methods for promoting learning. When it comes to daily team workflow, Duarte advises "looking for chances to delegate duties that allow your team to acquire and advance their talents."

Feedback should be given in a way that encourages learning and future achievement.

Your team should constantly have open channels of communication so that you may receive feedback from them as well. Remind an employee of a time when they overcame a difficult initial task when you see them slipping into a fixed attitude.

An excellent opportunity to discuss mistakes committed is during feedback. Instead of ignoring or criticising them, take the effort to outline the right procedure and train staff to get value from their mistakes.

You'll benefit from having a growth mentality not only at business but also in your relationships and other areas of life! So take a look within and consider how you might strive for improvement every day.