A growth mindset

Recently I came across Stanford University psychologist and researcher Carol S. Dweck's work on human mindset: she argues that your mindset could determine the course of your life and I believe this to be true. I have personally experienced that changing my mindset into a Growth Mindset has changed my life and the way I view the world and challenges ahead of me. Maybe that is why this subject has resonated especially with me.

During your life, you learn one of two mindsets from your parents, teachers, and coaches: that personal qualities such as intelligence and ability are distinctive and constant (the fixed mindset) or that you and others can change and grow (the growth mindset). Understanding your mindset can be a major game changer and have an impact on your career, relationships, the way you raise your children, and your overall life satisfaction.

The concept of a mindset was discovered while looking for an answer to a question: who likes challenges? Who thrives on challenges? And who hates challenges. Why some people thrive in the face of obstacles, they are resilient, while others degrade themselves, when they hit challenges and ultimately, they give up. What came out of the research is that some people have more of a fixed mindset: they believe that their talents and abilities are fixed, and they don’t want a challenge that will reveal the lack of ability, they don’t want setbacks that will show them as an impostor.

?Fixed mindset – the belief that basic qualities, like intelligence or talent are fixed, and talent alone creates success.

"You were born with certain traits and a certain amount of intelligence and that’s that." Many people are trained in this mindset from an early age — for instance, by a teacher who believes your IQ determines everything. If people get a set amount of intelligence, you want to prove you have a lot, although you secretly worry you would fall short. People with a fixed mindset tend to believe that they have limited potential to improve and set goals that are less challenging. The good news is that you can develop your mindset to be one of growth.

When people are more in a growth mindset, they believe that talents and abilities can be developed. And how you do it? You do it by taking on challenges, you do it by learning from obstacles and setbacks.

Growth mindset – the belief that individuals’ most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.

People who exhibit a growth attitude - a belief that they have the potential to get better with hard work, good strategies and help from other, set more challenging goals in life and pursue those goals longer. This kind of a mentality requires you to be clear about what you don't know. When we hit a wall or encounter obstacles a lot of new insight comes forth from those experiences. We learn how to develop those abilities, to move forward.

With a growth mindset you welcome other people expertise of input. You like to hear a feedback even if that is not a good, positive one, because how you could change for the better if you do not realize what needs to be improved. People are usually good critics, and they see you from their own perspective. Sometimes the vision is a bit blurred by their own beliefs or biases, but usually the input is something you did not ultimately realize was an issue.

The first step on your route to growth is to acknowledge what you don't know and that you need to keep learning to master a skill. You need to try harder or put more effort in it, but ultimately nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it and create a list of small goals and a plan how to reach them on your way to that ultimate goal of yours.

Two Different Worlds

The two mindsets are different worlds where the same things have different meanings for the inhabitants of each world. Most important is how people with each mindset — fixed or growth — define and interpret success and failure.

In general,?in the fixed mindset world, success is about proving to yourself and others that you’re smart and talented. It’s about validation. If you fail, it means you’re not smart or talented, therefore failure is intolerable. Failure is any type of setback: a bad grade, losing a competition, not getting the job or promotion you want, being rejected.?Effort is a negative — if you need it, that means you’re not smart.

In the growth mindset world where you can change, success is about stretching yourself,?learning, and improving. Failure is not seizing an opportunity to learn, not striving for what’s important to you, not reaching for your potential.?Effort is positive — it helps you get smarter?and increase your abilities.

Fostering a Growth Mindset in Organizations

When your organization encourages a fixed mindset then you want to be the smartest in the room, you want to be right all the time. Your co-workers are your competitors. When you encourage a growth mindset culture, we call it the culture of development you think about teamwork collaboration, how you can move forward optimally, collectively and this way the work environment is more inclusive. Cultures of development are cultures that believe everyone has the potential to develop into their highest level. Those cultures value what people with different backgrounds, cultures, of different perspectives, and with different skills values - can bring to the environment.

The first step to creating a culture of development is to ask people what they are struggling with, while providing a safe environment for them to answer freely and truthfully - all the barriers come off then and we are at out most vulnerable and brave to share our fears and struggles. When one of the people shares their most vulnerable selves and their failures and struggles, others feel encouraged to do the same. People might say: “oh I'm struggling with that', too” or “I had the same problem earlier and this was my solution, let’s create a team and collaborate”. It is easier then to share our solutions and understandings - contributors are united by a common problem, purpose.

The science of things

Recent progress in neuroscience have shown that the brain is far more flexible that we have realized. Research on brain plasticity has shown that with experience the connectivity between neurons can change. Neutral neurons grow new connections, strengthen existing ones and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses. These discoveries confirm that we can increase our neural growth by taking actions, such as using good strategies, asking questions, practicing, and following good nutrition and sleep habits. Researchers have begun to comprehend the link between mindsets and achievement, as if you believe you can grow, you behave differently.

This is the way

What is the best way to get started with cultivating your growth mindset? One way is to identify where you might be a bit fixed minded so that you can work on your growth mindset. Remember, mindsets are beliefs — although they’re powerful, you can change them and that makes all the difference.

In writing this article I’ve based my knowledge on:

1.??Thriving together training from: https://thriveglobal.com/

2.??Carol S. Dwecks book, titled “Mindset - Updated Edition. Changing The Way You think To Fulfill Your Potential”, Publisher: ?Robinson; 6th edition (February 2, 2012), ISBN-13:?978-1472139955

3.??Carol S. Dwecks Ted talk: Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improve | TED Talk