Finding Your 'Growth Mindset' Zone

Employees with a growth mindset report feeling far more empowered and committed; they also receive far greater organizational support for collaboration and innovation. Sounds great, right? But how do I get there?

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work - brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.

Adopting a growth mindset is a unique and personalized process, however as a starting point you should thrive to be in a ‘zone’ that helps accelerate your growth. There are three zones I consider when approaching the development of a growth mindset:

Panic Zone –

• You are in this zone if you are always stressed, unhappy, work is piling on and your in a constant state of confusion & frustration. 
• No growth happens when you are in the Panic zone.

Comfort Zone -

• You are here in this zone if all is going well, your workday is almost effortless. You always know what to do and you are 100% on top of things.
• Some minor growth can happen here.

Discomfort Zone –

• You are here in this zone you have just signed up for something new you have never done before, you have taken on a new responsibility or maybe you just stopped doing what you always used to do and you feel a little akward about it
• Most growth happens here.

As you try and adopt more of a growth mindset think of the zone you are currently in and try to rebalance with the following in mind:

• If you are in the panic zone focus on finding a way out, this should be the first step before any growth can be considered.
• If you are in the comfort zone don’t expect growth mindset to settle in, find a way to shift the balance from comfort to discomfort.
• As a strategy thrive to spend as much of your time in the discomfort zone and spend as little time as you can in the comfort zone without slipping back into the panic zone.

Keep trying to shift the balance of comfort and discomfort to create more growth opportunities. Once you achieve the right level of balance you have, in practice, put yourself at the heart of the “Growth Mindset” zone where dedication and hard work pay off on a regular basis.