Unlock Greater Organisational Performance with a Growth Mindset

I’ve always had an unshakeable belief in the power of a growth mindset, which I suppose should be expected in the talent development field! Even though the concept has been around for a few decades, companies continue to find it useful, and I’ve begun to notice a surge in the desire to build growth mindsets across many of the organisations I’ve partnered with.  

While learning has long been an area of focus for businesses, it was often reserved only for those deemed with high potential or individuals on the leadership track. Now, as companies strive to navigate a sea of change in the workplace, leaders are recognising that they need to upskill and reskill staff across all levels to weather the storm. To activate these initiatives, it’s essential for businesses to embrace a new perspective. 

Growth mindset: The belief that a person’s capabilities and intelligence can be improved over time. 

Originally popularised by psychologist Carol Dweck, this concept stands in contrast to a fixed mindset, which holds that talents are innate and unchangeable. A growth mentality invites people to view challenges as opportunities to develop rather than insurmountable obstacles. 

This frame of mind encourages employees to innovate, take risks and learn from their mistakes. It also establishes a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback is valued, and setbacks are seen as stepping stones to future success. 

Common Misconceptions About Growth Mindsets 

In helping workforces engage in lifelong learning, I’ve noticed a few misconceptions. The first is that having a growth mindset simply means adopting an optimistic outlook or being open-minded. While positivity and openness are important, this approach goes beyond having a “can-do” attitude. It involves a commitment to improvement even when it is challenging.  

Additionally, feelings of frustration or disappointment are not necessarily signs that a person has failed to believe in human potential. These reactions are natural processing mechanisms. It’s perfectly acceptable to experience times of doubt or dissatisfaction so long as the person has the tools to move past these moments and make progress. 

Another misunderstanding is that individuals either have a growth or a fixed mindset. In reality, they may apply both frameworks in different situations. The goal is to become more aware of our fixed tendencies as well as any self-limiting notions that may be holding us back. Then, we can work actively to cultivate a learning-centric approach.  

Lastly, some think that this trait is entirely individualised, meaning that it’s solely up to employees as to whether they can adopt this attitude. The truth is that the environments people operate in will affect how well they can or cannot embrace a development-focused mentality. Suppose the work culture does not encourage experimentation and allow for mistake-making. In these cases, staff are unlikely to demonstrate a growth mindset regardless of what they may believe to be true about themselves or others. 

The Value of Reframing Our Mentalities 

A progress-oriented perspective results in organisations with greater innovation, enhanced collaboration and improved results. 64% of workplaces that incorporate a growth mindset report higher productivity and performance. 58% benefit from elevated levels of employee engagement.  

Looking to the future, the conviction that individuals can gain new skills will be a differentiator for business leaders that wish to stay competitive. As industries evolve, companies prioritising professional development will be better positioned to anticipate and respond to challenges. A learning-centric approach further prepares personnel with the resilience and flexibility needed to navigate shifting market demands, utilise different technologies and contribute to the organisation’s longevity. 

The Foundation for Growth Mindsets 

Learning & Development (L&D) teams play a vital role in advancing the notion that every person can expand their capabilities. To inspire this shift, consider: 

1. Extending Education Opportunities  

Assess who in your organisation currently has access to training programmes. If it is limited to specific subsets of the employee population, identify options to offer professional development sessions, workshops or on-demand resources to the broader workforce.  

2. Training Staff to Provide Constructive Feedback 

Create a feedback-rich culture where constructive criticism is viewed as an opportunity for improvement. Start by coaching managers and leaders to deliver input in a way that opens up communication channels and invites development. 

 Emergenetics Associates: Use our Attributes in Action guides to help supervisors adapt their feedback based on their staff’s Thinking and Behavioural preferences. Visit My Library in Emergenetics+ to download the resource. 

3. Celebrating Effort  

Find ways to recognise and reward the actions and learnings of staff, not solely the outcomes that are realised. L&D teams can consider gamifying their programmes to acknowledge participant engagement or even create awards to celebrate the knowledge gained by teammates. 

4. Cultivating Psychological Safety 

Employees need to feel they can take calculated risks without fear of repercussions in order to grow. It’s essential that we (as individual leaders and collectively as an organisation) shift our response to mistakes made by ourselves and our teams. How we respond decides the safety of the group. Missteps should be seen as opportunities for learning and growth, not a chance to blame or shame. Establish training and team building sessions to help departments and managers build trust with one another and practise vulnerability. 

Interested in more tools to build psychological safety? Explore our egLearning programmes, including Cultivating Culture through the Language of Grace. 

5. Set Norms to Support Risk-taking 

Last year, I partnered with a group of leaders at LUXASIA to help them identify what their teams needed to adopt a growth mentality. It was an enlightening day as we explored how Thinking and Behavioural preferences informed how individuals might approach risk and the environmental factors that contribute to self-limiting beliefs. Taking these insights, teams can then define their norms, or the expectations and behaviors that will shape their interactions, so that staff feel safe and supported to continuously improve and perform at a higher level.  

Embracing the belief that all people can build on their capabilities will unleash the potential of your personnel and your organisation. By starting with actions at the L&D level, you can reframe outlooks and set a strong foundation for your staff and company to thrive.  

How can Emergenetics support your organisation’s performance? Explore our offerings or fill out the form below to speak with one of our team members today. 

 

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