You’ve Got a Mind(set) for Growth

Those who have growth mindsets are more resilient in the face of setbacks. So what exactly is a growth mindset, and how do you get one?

After our co-founder Shane’s presentation on what Contently is doing to foster a more inclusive culture, we held our first staff training to promote our values. Paradigm founder and CEO Joelle Emerson led the workshop, going over the differences between a fixed and growth mindset as well as the implications those mindsets have for individuals, managers, and companies.

Here are a few of the highlights:

Defining the terms

• Fixed mindset: More likely to believe that talents and abilities are pre-determined. People with a fixed mindset are susceptible to the “myth of the natural.” I.e.: “He’s a natural at math.” ; “She just wasn’t born for a career in microbiology.”
• Growth mindset: People who have growth mindsets are more likely to believe that talent is a starting point for the skills we can develop. They’re also more resilient in the face of challenges and are more productive at work.

Feel like you’re somewhere smack-dab in the middle? That’s normal! States of mindsets exist on a spectrum. You can have a fixed mindset about some things, and have a growth mindset about others.

I’m an individual, why should I care?

Having a growth mindset has scores of implications for literally everyone — even elementary school kids benefit from growth mindset training. Here are a few ways mindsets affect us when we set goals, experience setbacks, and do our best but struggle:

Fixed mindset

• Goals: You’re more likely to set easy-to-achieve goals. Sure, you may always meet those goals, but you’re probably not challenging yourself as hard as you could be.
• Effort and struggle: If you find yourself feeling like everything should come naturally to you, you may have a fixed mindset.
• Setbacks: Do you feel like early-2000s Shaggy when you’re asked to own up to your mistakes? Hiding mistakes when you’ve had a tough time with a project actually hurts the organization overall. Just ask Enron.
• Performance: People with fixed mindsets only perform on equal levels when an organization is not rife with change. If the organization changes often, people with fixed mindsets will likely have a tougher time.

Growth mindset

• Goals: You’ve definitely experienced more failure than your fixed-mindset counterparts, but that’s probably because of those crazy high goals you set.
• Effort and struggle: Nothing’s worth it unless it was hard work, or unless you learned something.
• Setbacks: You’re more likely to embrace and learn from mistakes. When performance review time rolls around and things are about to get real, they say yes. Yes we CAN handle the truth.
• Performance: Are you working at an oft-changing startup? People with growth mindsets tend to outperform their colleagues who have fixed mindsets.
• Caveat: Qualitatively comparing yourself with others can trigger a fixed mindset. Instead, focus on what you can learn from the talented people around you and how you can improve yourself.

But what can I do?

• Challenge your fixed assumptions.
• Track your progress over time by seeing what feels less difficult and making a note of it.
• Identify your fixed mindset triggers.

As a manager, what are my strategies?

First, a few things to note:

• How we give feedback conveys what we think is necessary for success.
• Someone’s current performance affects how we judge future performance. Managers with fixed mindsets are more likely to undervalue their employees because of their performance on an individual project.

Strategies for managers to promote a growth mindset:

• Lead by example!
• Talk about mistakes and emphasize what can be learned from them. Note: this is not to suggest that we should aspire for mistakes. Ideally, we won’t make the same mistake twice.
• Reward your employees for trying new things, even if they don’t succeed.
• Give feedback on the process, not the person.

Let’s put it all together: impact on companies

Growth companies are rated more highly for collaboration, commitment, and innovation; they’re also more likely to be more diverse. Below is a mix of strategies, to-dos, and affirmations to help cultivate a growth mindset in your organization:

• Avoid fixed language in communications.
• Focus on growth.
• It’s all about learning. When you start to value the learning journey over the feeling-smart destination, you’re on the path towards a growth mindset.
• While everyone cultivates their own mindsets, leadership sets the tone.
• If you feel caught off-guard when receiving critical feedback, ask for it, don’t wait for it. It can help you feel as though you’re in control of the situation.
• Remember that critical feedback is an investment in you. This distinction matters in two ways:
• First, think of how the feedback you’re giving will be helpful for that person.
• Second, think of receiving critical feedback as coming from a positive and helpful place. Getting critical feedback is the first step toward improving. You can’t become harder, better, faster, or stronger without first knowing where and how you’re struggling.

For further reading:

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck: A hugely influential book, Mindset draws on Dweck’s groundbreaking research, which distinguishes between the different kinds of mindsets, as well as how comprehensively those mindsets affect success in different areas of our lives. It’s one of Joelle’s must-reads.
• Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson: This book, recommended by Contently’s own Alice Mottola, is chock-full of tips on how to make those tough conversations a little easier, including de-escalation tips and strategies to make receiving critical feedback less painful.