Deficit Mentality

Introduction

We live in a world steeped in worst-case scenario framing and fear-mongering; for some of us, this can lead to views through jade-colored glasses, commonly referred to as a deficit mentality.

Deficit mentality can show up in many forms and is often encouraged and shaped by our environment. In our experiences, this can include a wiring or inclination towards inner soundtracks of negativity, gloominess, and skepticism, often accompanied by anxiety and paranoia. This space is often conceptually referred to as a scarcity mindset. This way of thinking is frequently associated with underlying tendencies of focusing on win/lose and competitive framing, as well as perceptions of what is lacking or missing.

In a business environment, this can be amplified during times of restructuring, change, and transformation, with uncertainty encouraging a range of emotional responses linked to this concept, sometimes in forms of freezing up, opting out, defensiveness, or self-disempowerment.

We acknowledge that as individuals we may or may not always be aware of these reactions and how a deficit mindset can influence our judgment, decision-making, or the environment we create for one another. In some cases, it may even be easier to choose to sit in the frame of a deficit mindset than “do the work”—actively reflecting and reframing our views. However, it is a possibility, one that takes vigilance, healing, and learning.

In this case, we are not only talking about concepts like celebrating progress but also about how you can shape how you view the world. If you are open, we wanted to start the conversation and share our experience of what is possible.

We understand that this can be experienced as wishful thinking or even naive, but as context, we are not looking to perpetuate toxic positivity. Instead, we want to propose how our mindsets, often not explored, impact our ability to authentically lead, and that it is worthwhile to question and reflect on our tendencies and habits.

What Do We Mean by Deficit Mentality?

A few examples include:

• Most attention on the gaps, what is not working, a sense of lacking or missing, often framed as problems.
• Underlying tendencies to focus on win/lose and competitive framing that is socially supported.
• Searching for evidence, information, and experiences that make your case or reinforce negative thinking.
• Basing actions and solutions on worst-case scenario planning.
• Defensiveness, “not good enough” mentality, and disempowerment – no energy left for learning.

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome has become a widely discussed term commonly associated with high-achieving individuals experiencing self-doubt about their intellect, skills, or accomplishments. Often characterized by feeling like "a fraud" or "a phony," this doubt of personal abilities creates a perception of a lack of belonging or being undeserving of successes. We see it as linked to the concept of a deficit mentality.

When we, as humans, get stuck in framings of “imposterism,” we perpetuate narratives that have adverse effects, such as labeling and putting ourselves in boxes. There is also truth to self-fulfilling prophecies that can come into play.

We like to share that at these moments, it is important to remind ourselves that we are capable regardless of how we feel or what we think can happen. We are capable of learning, growing, and understanding, and these are lifelong pursuits that do not have an “end date” or are accomplished by a certain age or milestone.

We also would like to acknowledge that if you are experiencing imposter syndrome or a similar form of thinking, you are not alone in these experiences. We often share a fundamental belief that We are More Similar than Different. Starting in this place, we are first and foremost human beings, and within this space, that includes our full emotional suite where we likely all can relate to instances or feelings related to the spaces commonly labeled as examples of a deficit mindset.

It is a choice to focus on pure play learning (easier said than done), on what you can move forward with, not on the fear of mistakes or being perceived as “wrong.” When we share this, it is not meant to belittle emotions of anxiety, frustration, etc., but instead, it offers a starting point for a reframe.

So what’s the reframe?

Shifting from a Deficit Mindset to a Growth Mindset, or what we often call a Growth Attitude, can be a worthwhile pursuit. This can be realized by encouraging ourselves to be open and look for possibilities, exercising an attitude of adaptability and learning. Examples of orientation in this reframe can include:

Reframe: Benefit of the Doubt to Benefit of Your Understanding

We can understand inclinations to start from a place of skepticism, especially when influenced by past experiences and historical data. However, living in speculation land, where what-ifs can rule us, does not create favorable environments for transparency, collaboration, and trust. Instead, look to give others the benefit of your understanding; start by listening, asking, and exploring.

Reframe: From "I’m just being realistic" to "Your Perception is Your Reality"

Five people, five different meetings—this is a sentiment we often share to illustrate our perspective, Your Perception is Your Reality. There is no one way or right way, especially where there are people involved, and in business, this is always the case.

We each will have different things that resonate for us, priorities, implications, and emotional responses. Being aware of and acknowledging this will provide a better understanding of the human dynamics involved during times of organizational change.

Reframe: From Fail Fast to Try it out, listen, and adapt

Less interest in ‘who is to blame’ and more on ‘how do we move forward.’ This avoids a lack of spin and focuses on creating cultures of shame and environments where individuals fear “making mistakes.”

In some environments, this can be referred to as trial and error or experimental, whereby the intention is to be more innovative, yet still highlights an element of failure.

Instead, we choose to focus on the learning because where there is trepidation, innovation can be impacted. In this reframe, we can shift from “what if I am wrong” to “what can I/we learn and apply next time.”

Reframe: From "I don’t know what to do or where I am" to "What is one step I can take?"

Sometimes we don’t always have the clarity we would like but need to keep moving forward to avoid being stuck or frozen. Although our actions may freeze, time does not.

Instead of seeking all the answers before moving forward (something that likely will not happen), knowing your next step is more than enough.

And when that may not be available to you, understanding what you don’t want to do or who you can talk to for alignment can help you move ahead.

Worst Case Scenario is Also a Possibility

While we aim to perpetuate positive thinking throughout this piece, we also want to acknowledge that framing a worst-case scenario is an option that can be chosen.

A question is: What makes it the worst for you?

Ideas that stem from this place can lead to unfavorable outcomes, and there is a time and place for this kind of mentality, often framed in business as risk management. While this is definitely one factor to consider, it is not the only one.

It is equally important to be mindful of always defaulting to this mindset. For some of us, this may be a habitual starting place that can have deeply adverse effects, especially from a personal leadership perspective. This is often unintended, as the default wiring is quite deep in all of us, magnified in business.

Consistently leading with a deficit mentality impacts ourselves and our team members and can unintentionally create an environment of mistrust, insecurity, and lack of collaboration, ultimately setting the stage for questionable foundations for clarity and sustainable results.

Experience Shaping Design Considerations

Considerations to foster readiness within your teams.

Seek to Understand (Start with Self)

It can be easier to jump to problem/solution mode rather than a place of listening and understanding. What comes along with jumping to the former is that we assume there is always a problem, and in that frame, often equate people to problems. In our experience, that is a green flag for a moment of reflection. All of us would prefer that the starting point is not that we are a problem. We want to be explored with and collaborated with. This is why we often share to lead as an explorer. This often starts with understanding your thoughts, reactions, and the way you process experiences first. Understanding how you can effectively learn, digest, and clarify will go a long way. This can, in turn, create an understanding of the importance of acknowledging that our perception is our own, leaving space to understand that experiences may differ from team member to team member.

Beyond Positive and Negative Emotions

As we share in our perspective "Positive and Negative Emotions: Go Beyond," labeling emotions in this dichotomy does not capture the richness of our emotional lives. When we experience unpleasant emotions, this can be a signal that there is work for us to do and does not mean that the emotion itself is bad. The more we can shape this understanding within ourselves and our teams, the better we can understand and relate to one another, approach a situation or challenge, and determine what needs to be done to move forward together. Unpleasant and even pleasant emotions will come and go; our understanding of them has more staying power.

Truth Builds Trust (Your Experience is Where to Start)

Leading with a deficit mindset may impact our ability to share our truth, which can be experienced as a lack of transparency, creating an appearance of suppressing and/or hiding information and context from team members. Instead, focus on sharing your experience. This does not always mean “being right” or “knowing everything”; it comes from a space of genuine intention to share where you are, and as a byproduct, others can also share their experiences.

We acknowledge that this may be difficult at times, especially when sensitive information is involved, but consider what you can share—your experience. Even when you do not have all the answers, this provides a sense of where you are to your team, creating an environment where trust, innovation, sharing, and collaboration are more possible.

Strengths-Based Approach

A common way to reframe a deficit mentality is by embedding a strengths-based approach into your team. Recently, the work of Don Clifton and CliftonStrengths? has become well known in business. In our Strengths Knowledge Kernel, we share the value of intentionally understanding our strengths and how to apply them.

Strengths are often overlooked in environments that solely focus on improvement and weaknesses, creating a lack of awareness of what we are actually good at, especially when we are always focusing on "gaps" and "opportunities." Instead, focusing on strengths can offer us a toolkit and recipe that enable us to navigate challenges, times of uncertainty, etc. Being aware of how to tap into our strengths and build upon them in our day-to-day lives can lead to a frame of self-empowerment and learning— a more effective alternative to a frame of deficit.

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We invite you to join us in exploring these concepts further and engaging in a dialogue about the impact our mindset can have on shaping our experiences and choices. Given our experience in this area, we welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation. Please feel free to send us a note to discuss or suggest other topics of interest.

Thank you for reading, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.