Category: Health

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.

The Harvard Business Review recently published an article from Dr. Amantha Imber that looked into if high achievers such as Beyoncé approach work and daily routines differently than others. To search for answers, she set out on a journey to interview business leaders, authors, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and musicians on her podcast.

She asked each of the guest’s questions about personal practices, work hacks, rituals, and routines to figure out why they get more done than other average people. Interestingly enough, she found that four things became apparent.

Batch Your Meetings

Do you batch check emails? This is a practice that’s become common among many. This is where you only check emails two to three times per day to cut down on distractions. It’s proven to be a great productivity tip that many executives use.

Batching virtual events, calls, and meetings can be just as effective. A study found that when you have a meeting scheduled within an hour or two, it makes you almost 25% less productive than when you have nothing scheduled.

Don’t Use A Mouse

Did you know some people lose eight days a year from using a mouse rather than keyboard shortcuts? Indeed! One study found that using a mouse causes you to lose two seconds per minute. So, taking time to learn keyboard shortcuts is a great productivity tool!

Take Small Steps Toward Better Behavior

If you hope to set better work habits for yourself, take small steps and stick with it. You’ll be amazed at how small hacks can reward you with the biggest payoffs. Basically, this requires you to consider a habit you want to change and determine how your environment can be altered to influence better behavior.

Read Work Aloud

At the end of the day, everyone is a writer. This is because each day at work and school, our success is measured by how well knowledge and thoughts are communicated. So, regardless if you’re writing an email or a term paper, always read it aloud to check for errors. It not only helps identify invaluable sentences, but it helps find the perfect rhythm to ensure you’re expressing the correct voice.

The bottom line is being super productive isn’t about working harder; it’s about working smarter

COVID-19 has taken a toll on everyone with the social distancing and increased safety measures that are in place. Sure, this is for everyone’s well-being, but to put it lightly, it’s exhausting. So, how do you lead when you and the team are exhausted?

The answer is not simple, and it takes some work on your part to make it happen. But, it can be done! First, you must understand that we’re past the first wave of the pandemic. A few vaccines are currently in circulation, and more are on the horizon. This helped to re-energize the masses, but now that we’re moving into the second wave, leaders need to review both themselves and their team’s personal resilience.

Now, let’s discuss a few things to keep in mind as we keep moving through these unprecedented times.

Differentiate Between Importance and Urgency

While this may seem like an obvious suggestion, you’d never believe how many entire organizations ignore this simple concept. As a leader, it’s important to set a good example by not being so short-sighted that non-urgent tasks are simply pushed to the side.

In other words, take inventory of every task that needs completing. Creating a list will help prioritize accordingly. Just remember that to keep your team energized, it’s vital to let them have a short break but not completely ignore tasks that aren’t urgent.

Balance Containment and Compassion

Humans need motivation to act. Action requires containment and compassion.

To achieve a good balance, it’s important to listen to your employees and even sympathize with them sometimes. So, don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something or even a personal insecurity. This helps you show compassion and connect with them on a deeper level.

At the same time, you don’t want your team to become helpless without a “pat on the back.” So, containment refers to not overdoing it with compassion.

Energize Daily

Most importantly, don’t forget to energize everyone daily. When the going gets tough, simply say things to your team such as “we’ll get through this together” or “we’re always here for each other.” You can also do things such as create competitions, share success stories, and most importantly, communicate with each other.

Practicing these principles will help you overcome exhaustion and promote a positive culture in the workplace. For further reading, check out this article by Harvard Business Review.