Mindset - the answer to the transformation imperative?

MINDSET. Why we behave and act the way we do. What also drives the words we say. Furthermore, how we respond or react to change is largely based on our openness to challenging our current mindset, beliefs, norms, and rituals. As practitioners and leaders of change and transformation understanding mindset theory and applying the techniques of mindset shift can be the difference between success and failure. Especially when used to support leaders.

When we apply mindset theory and mindset shift techniques to the design, build and delivery of transformation – from highly technical to highly complex projects and programs – when we have a focus on mindset, we are humanising transformation.

During this week’s humanising transformation roundtable, I shared 5 things about mindset we should all be aware of as practitioners and leaders in this space. Any one of these 5 elements could be used to capture hearts and mindset by helping people travel a smoother journey of transformation – one focussed more on identity shift rather than skill, capability and changed ‘ways of working’ instead.?What’s more, when we become confident in mindset shift work – driven by our own lived experience, we can start to help people who want to come on the journey of change literally hack their mindset!?

And so, to the 5 things (there are of course many more!) about mindset we should all be, well, mindful of!

1. Fixed v Growth. Many of us have heard of Carol Dweck’s extensive and ground-breaking work on mindset. Understanding these two mindset states has supported many people in the world of change and transformation. However, in our work we have come to understand something that Carol Dweck herself has written about: We are neither fixed or growth, those we are supporting through change and transformation should not be labelled either fixed or growth mindsets. Why? Because it is about the spectrum between these two that matters. At any given moment, an email, a conversation, an announcement of change, can trigger us into a more fixed of growth state of mind. It is these triggers that successful transformation practitioners become interested in. What triggers you into more a more fixed or growth mindset?
2. Modern Mindset. The next thing we should understand is the mindset needed to thrive in a world defined by untapped potential and possibility is different from the more ‘obvious’ mindset that has driven leadership, management and workforce thinking since the industrial age.?In a world defined by the pace of change, the inevitability of change, convergent forces of change and of course these constant accelerants that keep presenting themselves (Brexit, COVID, Bush fires, Wars, etc.). What does modern mindset mean? How can we lean into it, develop it, nurture it and role model it? Modern Mindset is the sum total of 7 dimensions that together help our identity evolve towards and maintain a sense of modernity. These 7 mindsets are congruent with the world we live in too – because they don’t force us all to conform or be the same, they celebrate diversity and the uniqueness that is you versus your colleague, your manager your friend.

1. Ok, this one might get you thinking I’ve gone a bit woo, but trust me – it’s all backed by science and that’s something important for us all to consider too – it’s no longer enough for practitioners of transformation to keep on top of emerging technologies, we must also keep on top of discoveries and experiments from the worlds of science, metaphysics and neuroscience etc. Just like every year a new discovery changes the course of history – these new scientific discoveries help us understand the origin point of potential challenges, opportunities, and frictions, and what we can do about them.?I digress. The third thing we should all be aware of is we have 3 minds. Yep! Who knows we may have more based on future discoveries, but for now – get on side with the three minds that drive the way we think, behave and act. The mind we are all aware of is our head mind – our conscious and unconscious brain. What we may not be too familiar with is the connection this mind has with our second mind – the heart mind. This is where our emotions come from and where our energies vibe out. Science has also shown our heart mind can generate an emotion before our head min has had the thought. Makes you wonder who’s in charge huh!??The connection between heart and brain are important to us in the world of change and transformation because of something called coherence. When neurons spark – they generate a frequency, like a wave. When the frequency of our heart and brain are coherent (in sync) we are calm, we are open, able to respond, create and receive. When we are stressed, when we are asked to do something unexpected this can interfere with the frequencies and cause incoherence. Which in turn causes our brains to react, protect us and importantly look to our past experiences to find solutions because it’s unable to deal with the unknown.?The third mind is the gut mind. The discovery of neurons in the gut was only made in recent years. The interesting thing about the gut mind is how it gives us a yes-no indication. There isn’t a maybe option, only a yes no, right or wrong, this way or that! Learning to listen to our gut is important, especially when it comes to transformational decisions. It is now increasingly a considered data point for decision making.?We often talk about intuition – well that’s what is happening when these three minds are working together.
2. A focus on mindset can also help us keep people engaged in change, it can support sustained change over time. It can help us stick to a new behaviour or habit until it becomes embedded. How does it do this? First remember, mindset shift drives an evolution of who we are, which in turn means our identity evolves. Imagine deciding you want to run 10K. From couch to 10K. Many people will focus on the result – thinking this motivation will be enough to generate the staying power needed to keep going. However, this can sometimes be so far away from our reality and our current beliefs the opposite can happen, the result building resistance in our continued ability to commit to shift. So what can we do? We can focus on what it takes to keep going, what will ensure we don’t stop. The secret lies in our ability to build a picture of the identity we are evolving into. So, in this example of wanting to run 10k (the result) we imagine and build a picture of ourselves as a runner (the identity). Thinking you are a runner, believing you are a becoming a runner is a mindset shift that will give you staying power – because it’s who you are!?Imagine applying this to your transformation work and multiplying it out across groups of users…powerful huh!?
3. The final thing about mindset to know is really a hack.?Which also comes with a health warning! This technique should not to be adopted as a single mindset shift strategy – that could be both unethical and manipulative, especially if the reason is beyond the wellbeing and development of the people involved. Notwithstanding, this is an excellent technique to practice ourselves!?What is it!? If you are not already one of the 22 million people who have watched Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk : Fake it ‘til you make it, you are in for a treat.?What’s this all about? Repetition. If you can visualise the identity of who you are becoming (see above) – you can accelerate your transformation by repeating words, actions and behaviours small enough they can be repeated time and time again. With this repetition something magical starts to happen – we start to believe; we start to be according to what we are repeating. The reason for this is simple. This is how our unconscious brain learns. It learns by repetition.?This is the closest we get to physically rewiring our brains.

Bringing modern mindset theory and shifts into our transformation efforts directly addresses the biggest challenges thwarting a 600 billion USD industry . If you want to succeed in transformation, if you have leadership challenges or adoption struggles, look to mindset theory for your answers.

If you would like to know more about how you can become a practitioner in humanising transformation and start to experience first-hand the power of modern mindset and mindset shift – let me know. It’s not about recognising the world has changed. The world is changing all the time. The question is – what are you going to do about it?

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