Fostering a Growth Mindset

What is a growth mindset?

A growth mindset is our attitude and response to a challenge or a new experience in our lives.  Do we believe that our strengths and weaknesses are fixed or can we through hard work and perseverance manage to develop and grow?

For example:

Statement One

A few years ago I found myself working from home and only working a few days a month.  Initially my internal monologue was “I have to stay at home and I have nothing to do and no money and my friends all work.” 

Versus:

Statement Two

After a few months of aimlessness and unhappiness I reframed this as an opportunity, one that I would miss should I manage to get a full-time job.  I rephrased my inner dialogue to “I am currently underemployed. I shall use this time to increase my skills in areas that I would like to work in.  I will explore every free or minimal cost class I can take and create action plans for my own self development.”

These two statements are real and they are ones that I have had in the past about the same issue.  With statement one the mindset is negative and limiting.  By only focusing on what you can’t do your thinking is narrow and there is no excitement or hope.  It’s also self-defeating and negative.  

Statement two though is a do statement.  By looking at what I can do I am able to feel more positive and optimistic about exactly the same situation.  Simply repositioning your frame of mind can really change your attitude.  If you feel that you have control over your future then it’s easier to feel motivated to change. 

The internal monologue will also impact those around you who are wanting to support and encourage you.  If you say the first statement to friends and family they will try to offer suggestions that may or may not work depending on how open you are. Or they may just leave you to wallow in your misery.

Statement two allows them to enthusiastically share with you what they can do to support or encourage you in achieving your goals.

How to cultivate a Growth Mindset

When we cultivate a Growth Mindset it’s about understanding that you don’t know something yet.  It’s the ‘yet’ in the statement that helps you be positive about not your lack of knowledge.  What you don’t know is the challenge and the opportunity to learn and develop.  With a growth mindset you believe that whatever you don’t currently know can be understood through hard work and perseverance.

At the start of last year I reviewed what I liked to do in my previous job but didn’t get enough opportunity to do more of.  I realised I like writing and felt that I could write business articles - I set myself several goals based around cultivating my writing skills.  One thing I came to realise was that the more you wrote, got feedback and rewrote or wrote something new the better you would become.

With that in mind I sat down and I wrote an article.  I shared that with some close friends for feedback and then I posted on LinkedIn the new and improved article for more feedback.  I took on board the feedback and I applied it to not only my first article but also the subsequent ones I have written.

Over time my writing goals have become more specific and I am also writing more which in of itself helps my writing to get better.  By sharing with friends and family what I am writing about they will share with their networks if I write something that has resonated with them.

How do you ‘Foster a growth mindset’?

A growth mindset is where you realise that you don’t know something and so you enthusiastically try to change that.  You believe that you can grow in knowledge and understanding and that you don’t need to be good in order to give it a go.  In a school context this is the gap you close the more you study or practice and new subject.  

My son took up guitar several years ago.  He taught himself using YouTube videos and practice.  Lots and lots and lots of practice.  Last weekend I was eating my lunch and listening to him play in his room.  He was really good and I was impressed not just by his skill at playing but also by his perseverance and persistence in putting in the time and practice to get that good.  

The older we get it can sometimes be more difficult to foster a growth mindset because we have learnt how to do our jobs effectively and efficiently.  When we are faced with challenges we may get frustrated that our old ways of working no longer work.  What we need to do is actively look for better ways to do our jobs.  

Working from home has pushed this on traditional companies and workers.  Suddenly a nice to have for a small proportion of the workforce has become a must have for most workers.  Everyone is having a very steep learning curve as we need to work on virtual teams, effective work practices as well as motivation and stress management.

For some people they will grab this opportunity and enjoy learning new skills and ways of working.

Other people may need a bit more persuasion before they can adapt.

How can a coach help you develop a growth mindset?

If you work with an executive coach they can help you to identify your strengths as well as any gaps (development areas) that you have.

They can also help you to understand why this is important to you now.  They can help with accountability as well as to break down your goal into manageable milestones.

If you would like to flex your Growth Mindset let have a chat.