Everyday practices to curate growth mindset cultures

By Lori Nishiura Mackenzie and Tiffany Galvin Green, Ph.D.

What can stand in the way of innovation and teamwork?

• When leaders say they value innovation but penalize initiatives that fail
• When people seek HR help every time an issue arises instead of trying to work it out.
• When employees protect their “territories” by hoarding resources and key opportunities.

You may think these examples merely spotlight bad or unskilled actors. True, all organizations have employees who work against the group’s interests. However, when such negative behaviors are pervasive, consider that you may be in what Prof. Mary Murphy calls a “Culture of Genius,” or workspaces that embody a fixed perspective on talent.

While you might think a “culture of genius” is a good thing, where innovation reigns, Murphy’s research shows instead that such environments are prone to produce groupthink and a lack of speaking up.

As Murphy explains, “cultures of genius” can be characterized as fixed mindset cultures, or those in which genius traits are considered innate.? These environments focus on the contributions of “natural” geniuses and value star performers, often at the cost of group engagement and effectiveness.

Instead, “Cultures of Growth ” can be characterized as environments that are more likely to inspire learning, collaboration, innovation, and trust--all of which can be essential for risk-taking as well as inclusion. Cultures of growth require a different approach to valuing success at all levels by focusing on development along with accomplishments. ?

“Cultures of Growth” inspire learning, collaboration, innovation, and trust

Since all organizations have a mindset culture. The important questions for organizational leaders may be:

1. How do we identify our cultural mindset?
2. How can we shift towards what Murphy calls a “Culture of Growth”, or a more equitable organization which values learning and growth?

We posed the questions to the key contacts of our Corporate Program , a learning community of change agents committed to advancing equitable organizations, after hosting Murphy as a keynote speaker. Here’s what we learned.

Identify fixed and growth mindset practices

As a first step, we sought to sharpen our mindset lens, or our ability to notice the ways in which both a fixed and growth mindset approach is embedded in work. We asked our Corporate Program contacts how a cultural mindset is revealed in the practices, language, and tools used everyday.? Their responses included an examination of people processes such as hiring and promotions, as well as team interactions.

Examples of a fixed mindset culture/culture of genius:

• Words used in job descriptions: We hire only the best candidates; prior experience in (elite companies or universities) strongly preferred
• Criteria for promotions: We promote the top 2%, the “brightest” in a stacked ranking; a focus on individual contributions only, which can overshadow collaboration
• Team dynamics: Moving quickly from project to project to get on the “best” one; blocking early-career employees from the best projects; implicitly evoking a fear of risk-taking due to a fear of failure

Examples of a growth mindset culture/culture of growth:

• Words used in job descriptions: We are interested in bringing strong candidates who are open to learning and dedicated to ongoing growth
• Criteria for promotions: We recognize learning from failed steps as part of innovation; recognizing growth not just outcomes
• Team dynamics: We make space for learning, mistakes, and developing learning opportunities for team members across all levels

Shift toward a growth mindset culture

Our Corporate Program contacts shared effective practices for embodying growth mindset in the recruitment and hiring process, which require time and intentionality. This includes thoughtfully defining criteria for hiring. We noted that a common mistake is to think that focusing on “brilliance” is bad; but that is not the case. Brilliance on its own is not “bad” but the way we define it is what can be problematic. In an interview, try asking: “Given your high-level of skills, how do you build the best team?” In presenting to candidates what it is like to work at the organization, include statements such as “this is a place where you can grow your career over time” and highlight the company’s commitment and means to support ongoing growth.

To help managers learn to see talent beyond elite credentials (i.e. an indicator of a “culture of genius”), there were suggestions to implement a direct recruiting partnership with a local university often left out of consideration in traditional talent sourcing strategies. Have an executive sponsor these partnerships and develop relationships with a diverse array of universities as well as professional associations or events. And share case studies of employee success from the program.

When it comes to performance reviews and evaluations, from the formal to the 1:1 weekly check-ins, managers must emphasize and reward effort, not only successful outcomes. Focus on coaching and progress. Also, reward collaborative efforts to diminish a focus on competition, especially across divisions and functions.

New ideas for change

As many of us are rethinking what it means to do DEI work, we need new ideas to sustain us through these challenging times. One of the biggest hurdles with fixed mindsets and “cultures of genius” is that they can produce climates that disproportionately impact those who are underrepresented. By default, the innate is often viewed as embodied by those who are most represented in society.? Creating a learning-oriented organization through practices and shared behaviors can help us achieve our aims of workspaces where all people and innovation can thrive.

Lori Nishiura Mackenzie is Co-founder of the Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab and a LinkedIn Learning Instructor and Top Voice in Gender Equity.

Tiffany Galvin Green, Ph.D. is Vice President, DE&I Strategies and Education (Chief Learning Officer) at Exponential Talent LLC , a member of the Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab Corporate Program .