Growth mindset is everywhere these days. The trouble is, as our research has found, leaders don’t always know where to start to implement an organizational growth mindset. Often, it results in simply telling people to handle more work.
In reality, growth mindset reflects a person’s belief that skills are improvable, and that improvement is the purpose of the work they do. To that end, we’ve compiled a few blog posts that should bring growth mindset clearer into focus: in performance conversations, feedback discussions, and inclusion.
Design smarter performance reviews
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance at a first impression. However, we also know that first impressions can be misleading. As we continue to work with a person, and get to know them better, it’s important that we allow our picture of that person to grow and change with the new information. Otherwise, we risk holding a performance review that doesn’t capture their current skills and contributions.
By using growth mindset, we can give performance reviews that are more accurate, less threatening, and support our team members to develop and succeed.
Give more productive feedback
Research has shown that while 60% of employees want regular feedback from their bosses, only 50% of managers are able to deliver constructive feedback — and understandably so. A lot of managers worry about negative reactions to feedback conversations, and shy away from opportunities to provide important information.
But there does seem to be an antidote. Research shows that growth mindset can equip us with tools to provide meaningful and supportive feedback, and make the conversation rewarding for both parties.
Create greater inclusion
Researchers have found that whether or not you think people are fixed or mutable in who they are shapes how many stereotypical judgments people make. If you use a growth mindset, you are more likely to attribute stereotype traits to environmental forces, rather than inborn traits. When making judgments, a growth mindset also helps people gather more information before coming to conclusions.
When employees start accepting diverse team members as generally well-intentioned, though perhaps fallible, they can move from a culture of competition to one of true and inclusive collaboration.
These three benefits are by no means the only ways organisational growth mindset builds stronger cultures, but they’re a great place for any organisation to start. When people adopt growth-mindset behaviours on an individual basis, collectively the enterprise as a whole can begin to tilt toward more effective outcomes.
By Chris Weller