Beginner-ing

About 2 years ago I began to study the violin. It is something I’ve wanted to do for most of my life. Even as a child, when my parents decided that all of us children had to learn an instrument, violin was my secret desire. But being the eldest, I was given the choice of those instruments we already owned. Dad had a clarinet, Mom a piano. I chose the clarinet since the piano came with my mother as my teacher!

Of course, by the time my sisters were entering the musical fray, my parents’ frugality had been worn down. One sister chose the flute, the other the violin. That turned my own violin fancy into a fantasy.

Late Starter

Finally,?I began.

There is something freeing about learning something completely new. My degree of ignorance about the violin, or any string instrument was profound. Profound enough that I was more (or less) than a beginner—I was painfully incompetent. Initially, the tiniest suggestion of practice time—a mere touch of the Mosul stand—sent my cat, Violet, running toward a closet in alarm.

We all remember the thrill of learning something new as a child - the wonder, excitement, and hunger to absorb more. Yet as we grow older and more competent in our jobs and relationships, we lose touch with that beginner's mindset. Recapturing the novice experience in adulthood can bring tremendous rewards, both personally and professionally.

Novice Mindsets Unlock Creativity

Research shows how this novice creativity manifests. In a study by Berkeley's Jennifer Mueller, people were assigned random objects like tin foil and a Dixie cup, and asked to invent new uses for them. Those with less domain expertise came up with more creative solutions, unconstrained by preexisting mental models.

Moreover, in subsequent work the same tram found onlookers were suspicious of creativity that didn’t seem to flow from expertise. But, that mistrust creates opposition to a beginner’s mindset—it’s related to the “that’s not the way we do things here” mentality that can stifle organizational change.

Sustaining Our Novicehood

We can nurture this beginner's innovation in ourselves and in our teams and organizations.

Consider the case of legendary businessman Jack Welch. When he took over as CEO of GE in 1981, the company had fallen into a rut after decades of success. Even though Welch himself was no newcomer, he approached his new role as though her were. He questioned all assumptions, embraced new ideas, and wasn't afraid to try approaches that seemed radical.

For instance, Welch implemented "Work-Out" sessions where employees at all levels could share innovative ideas and candid feedback. This beginner's mindset was crucial to the turnaround Welch led at GE over the next two decades.

In her book, Mindset, Carol Dweck emphasizes the benefits of a beginner's mindset. Her own growth mindset theory is based on the finding that people who fundamentally believe in their abilities to grow and change can tend to embrace challenges, and have greater resilience and ultimate success than those who don’t hold that belief.

That other group, those with a fixed mindset, believe their skills are innate and fun evolving. They are less resilient and more likely to give up when they face difficult setbacks. But, her work further shows that we are not stuck with our innate affiliation with either a fixed or growth mindset. We can choose to become more growth-oriented and less fixed.

Even Old Folks!

That ability to shift mindset applies regardless of age or education. Middle-aged and functionally illiterate convicts regularly gain education and even advanced degrees while incarcerated.

And people like can take up new instruments in their 50s!

One avenue for joining your own growth mindset is to take up new hobbies or activities. That novelty rekindles the sense of wonder we tend to have less as we age and grow more competent. By jumping into an arena where we lack any competence, we confront both the boundaries of our own humility—and, if we can tolerate the discomfort—the wonder of learning.

We can also bring the gifts of the beginner's mind to our everyday lives and work.

Growth and Novice Mindsets at Work

Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 eleven years after being ousted. He had been the founder of the iconic company, and had every justification for resting on his laurels; and for leading from a perspective of knowing it all.

But instead, he came back with a beginner's hunger to rethink everything. This enabled Apple's string of innovations like the iPod, iPhone and iPad over the next decade.Each of us can identify areas of our work, leadership, strategy and process where we would benefit from a complete rethink.

The beginner's mindset offers a powerful antidote to the certainty and cynicism that can solidify over time. We are all subject to it. We have seen and experienced a lot. Have lots of evidence for our beliefs. And it’s hard to look at the familiar artifacts of our work and lives as known phenomena. But everything can be new again. That’s up to us, and the degree to which we are willing to look at it all newly. But if we can, it can boost creativity, performance, and meaning in our lives and careers. [click to tweet this thought]

Tomorrow, we’ll dig into the mechanics of exactly how to recognize our “expert perspective” and choose a different lens through which to see.

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