Adopt a Growth Mindset for Success

When something is going wrong, the first thing people typically say is “stay strong” or “stay positive.” These affirmations can be effective in offsetting times of negativity, especially within the workplace.?While they are not foolproof, embracing a positive mindset can help you cope better and regroup when things aren’t going according to plan. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that physical momentum drives intellectual momentum and that a growth mindset an essential part of ongoing success. ??

The term “growth mindset” was originally coined by Carol Dweck , a psychologist and professor at 美国斯坦福大学 . Within her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she explains that a person demonstrates a growth mindset when they believe they’re not limited by inherent traits or abilities. Instead, they have the capacity to learn, grow and improve. More specifically, her research has found that employees within a “growth mindset” company are:

• 47% likelier to say that their colleagues are trustworthy
• 34% likelier to feel a strong sense of ownership and commitment to the company
• 65% likelier to say that the company supports risk taking
• 49% likelier to say that the company fosters innovation

Since mindsets are often seen as highly personal, it’s easy to assume that companies can’t change how their employees interpret the world around them. However, I believe that taking intentional steps to prioritize a growth mindset in the workplace can have major impact on company culture.

So, how can we lean in and adopt some of the key benefits of an organizational growth mindset in the workplace? Here’s my advice:

Growth = Trust

I’ve worked with different types of leaders and managers throughout my career. On the one hand, there are those who believe in fixed abilities and promote a fixed mindset; they tend to think something doesn’t work well and someone will never perform better. On the other hand, there are those who support a growth mindset; they believe that people can be coached into improving their skills.

Employees who work for growth mindset organizations where learning and development is highly valued have more trust in their company and a greater sense of empowerment and ownership. I’ve found that that they’re often more willing to take on projects and welcome challenges, work harder, and persevere in the face of struggle, all of which makes them more successful learners and better contributors. As a leader, when you show your teams that you trust, support, and listen to them while providing ongoing education and opportunities, they are much more likely to go the extra mile.

Encourage Experimentation

I’m a believer that people should foster their curiosity and experiment with new ideas. I know that not every new initiative will be successful, but it will undoubtedly lead to a lot of learning along the way. When someone within your team voices their opinion, show your enthusiasm by asking them to tell you more. Even if it does not seem right at first or does not match your opinion, do not reject it forthright. Rather, help them evaluate their own ideas using a framework to make better decisions. Ask questions to start a productive conversation such as: What problem does it solve and why is it important? ?What are the risks associated with not solving it? Why do they think this is the right time? How much time/effort will it take?

Managers who can promote a growth mindset within the workplace make people feel safe to raise their hands and share their viewpoint, to experiment, to explore, and most importantly to value their contribution without judging it based on specific outcomes. When they try something new – a new strategy or a challenging project – recognize it, regardless of whether it leads to success or not.

Classify Both Successes and Failures as Learning Opportunities

While nobody likes to fail, stigmatizing failure or shaming employees when projects don’t succeed will only decrease confidence and make your team wary of sharing future ideas. Instead, leaders should encourage a?growth mindset within the workplace?by celebrating failures as part of the learning process and treating them as a source of valuable data on what worked and learning from what didn’t.

Find Your New Normal and Lean In

In an age of change you must find time to lean in, find your new normal and uncover what fuels you, motivates you, inspires you and keeps you on track. For me, my creativity blooms when I’m able to get outdoors. My husband and I recently took a trip to Newport, Rhode Island where we enjoyed walking, talking, reading and thinking. The change of scenery helped fuel my creative side and come the fall, I feel ready to hit the ground running.??Research has shown that a growth mindset allows people to navigate stress and challenges better and can lead to higher levels of wellbeing.?So, find an outlet to fuel your mind, body and soul and navigate the ongoing world for ongoing success.

Companies with a growth mindset can recognize that good ideas may come from unexpected sources. Instead of turning to only select employees to raise red flags or ignite new ideas, leaders with growth mindsets are open to hearing other perspectives, even when they challenge their own, and understand that questions are essential to growth.?Anyone can succeed if they apply the right strategies, work hard and ask for help to improve a little each day. Some people may have plenty of talent and still achieve nothing, however it’s the effort that builds skills and it’s the effort that turns those skills into accomplishment.