Do you believe that your skills can be improved through constructive criticism, good strategies, and hard work? Or do you believe that skills are innate gifts? If you think they can be improved, then you have what’s called a “growth mindset,” but if you think they are intrinsic, then you have a “fixed mindset.” Determining which is better is subjective, but there is evidence that when companies adopt a growth mindset, employees feel more committed and empowered.
Since the idea of a growth mindset has come out, many companies are trying to adopt it as part of their mission statement. While this is great, there are some common misconceptions such as:
I Already Have A Growth Mindset And Always Have
Some think this mindset just refers to having a positive outlook, being flexible, and keeping an open mind. However, experts refer to this as a false growth mindset. In reality, people are a mixture of the two types of mindsets, and a “pure” growth mindset doesn’t exist.
A Growth Mindset Is Only Focused on Rewarding and Praising Effort
This is not true in most situations because outcomes matter. You never want futile effort, so it’s crucial to reward the progress, learning, and effort.
Adopting A Growth Mindset Will Make Good Things Happen
Mission statements are great because you can’t argue with values such as innovation, growth, and empowerment. But what good are they if the company doesn’t have policies to make such qualities attainable? Simply adopting a mindset cannot single-handedly make good things happen; it takes effort.
Even if we can educate about these misconceptions, attaining a growth mindset is not an easy task. First, you must identify fixed mindset triggers and learn how to overcome them effectively. It takes time and certainly won’t happen overnight.
For more information, check out a complete overview of this topic at The Harvard Business Review.
