Why a growth mindset will help?

There are two types of people in the world, one who does work for a living and others who live to do work. Most of the innovators fall into the second category living to do work with passion, attitude to adapt to changes, and being agile. There is a word for these attributes, and it is called “Growth Mindset”. When you are aiming for speed, look for people with a Growth Mindset.

What is Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is a mindset to try new things, tinker with what is available, and dream of doing something, which could change the statuesque. Studies have shown people with a growth mindset help the organization to innovate and grow. A fixed mindset is the opposite of a growth mindset. In fixed mindset, you can imagine, doing something set in your ways, ensuring continuity in doing the same things repeatedly.

A growth mindset is at a continuum with higher levels of growth mindset required for disruptive development, moderately for incremental innovations, and lesser for maintenance. Start young with a Growth Mindset. Many of these attitudes and mindsets are set in childhood and teenage and may only change slightly during their lifetime. Affirmations from parents, teachers, and peers seem to set the limitations on the child what they can do and cannot do. Remove the limitation. Expose children to wonderful possibilities on what a human can do… It could be biographies, motivational talks, watching and playing sports. It is much easier to mold the next generation into a learning generation. Microsoft had a turnaround in strategies from 2014, by focusing on a Growth Mindset. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in his book “Hit Refresh” has explained how having a growth mindset helps his company.

How to identify a person with a Growth Mindset?

I can tell an example from an organization that is a leader in technology, on doing the interviews. This company’s interview model consists of about twenty scenario-based questions, which can unearth the attitudes of the person. There are no right and wrong answers to these questions. For example, the question of how conflict is handled by a person can bring about many clues. If candidate is getting defensive and trying to shift the blame on other people, that is a red flag. To identify a growth mindset in your team, you need to have the wisdom to know what a growth mindset is and the next step is to nurture it and see beyond the obvious capabilities of the individuals.

I would recommend to read Carol Dweck’s ground breaking work : Mindset — Changing The Way You think To Fulfil Your Potential. I am not in anyway connected to the author, but this book will change your life.