Benefiting from a Growth Mindset

Thomas Edison famously said “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  

Edison had a LOT to say about failure:  

“Each time you fail, you have eliminated another wrong option.” or 

“There is a better way for everything.  Find it.”

Every experiment, every test, every flop, every complete and total epic failure…..they’re all opportunities to learn and grow.

THAT is the hallmark of someone with a growth mindset.

Fast forward to the 2020’s. Our planet’s first self-made female billionaire certainly has a growth mindset.  Who am I referencing?  It’s Spanx founder Sara Blakely. 

Sara often references conversations with her father when she was growing up.  He asked her “What mistakes did you make this week?” and then celebrated the mistakes! Sara now attributes much of her success to her father’s emphasis on growing and learning from mistakes.

I think most people agree with the statement that having a growth mindset is advantageous - at work and in general.  

Here’s your quick refresher: 

Stanford University psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck distinguishes between a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. 

• If you have a growth mindset, you’re curious. You improve.  You’re more comfortable with risks.  You’re ok with being wrong. You invest in self-improvement. You LEARN. 
• If you have a fixed mindset, you perceive yourself to have fixed skills, attributes and abilities. You’re less likely to invest in yourself. You’re defensive. You’re focused on self-verification. When you fail, you believe “that’s it."

Here’s the good news!  

A growth mindset isn’t just something we’re born with - it can be developed over time.  In this video, Carol Dweck talks about some ways to do just that:

(The full video is worth a watch, if you have the time…)

A fellow columnist from Inc Magazine talks about similar steps to move to a growth mindset

• Look for ways to make ideas collide
• Explore new learning environments
• Be open - and stay open

Personally, I consciously focus on a growth mindset when I’m hosting Q&A sessions. Previously, these were stressful events for me.  But with a growth mindset, a Q&A is a fantastic opportunity to learn - learn what questions people have, and learn how other people think about topics; sometimes in ways I had never considered!  This is growth.

The science behind a growth mindset

Scientific evidence demonstrates how having a growth mindset can benefit you. While a lot of the research looks at students in various school/college settings, you can easily apply the principles to your life at work. 

Research out of Stanford, the University of Texas, and a paper cowritten by researchers in China and at McMaster University here in Canada all illustrate significant effects of adopting a growth mindset

• increased motivation; 
• lower stress, anxiety, and depression, 
• better relationships 
• and improved performance.

Children who are told “You are so good/bad at…” end up with a fixed mindset, whereas kids who are told “great effort!” end up being more successful because they believe their effort will reap benefits.

A young student who fails a math test might think “I’m bad at math.” and then decide to move away from all things STEM whereas a student with a growth mindset will say “Hmm. I guess I need to better prep for these tests.”

An entrepreneur who makes a pitch and is turned down might say, “This is a bad idea” or “I guess I’m not cut out for this” but an entrepreneur with a growth mindset will say, “What went well? Why did the investor say no?  What can I do differently next time?”

If you’re trying to make a contribution at work and your idea gets rejected or ignored, do you think, “I guess that was a bad idea” or worse –  “I’m an idiot”?  If you have a growth mindset, you’ll think “Hmm, I wonder if I need to rework that idea.”  Or perhaps you can rework how you present it.

Applying growth mindset skills

Clearly, people with growth mindsets have an advantage in the workplace - they are driven to learn and to succeed. If you still need proof, this article lists 12 advantages of a growth mindset that can accelerate your career.

How can you continue to develop your growth mindset?  I’ve got three ways for you:

1. Invest in self-improvement. Your investment could involve signing up for a course, workshop, or 1-on-1 coaching, but it could be something as simple as reading books or listening to a podcast. It’s not about the money you invest, it’s the time.
2. Adopt a growth mindset mantra. Mine is, “I know what I know and I’m keen to learn more.” Saying this to myself gives me confidence in the things that I do know, and reminds me that any situation I find myself in is an opportunity to learn.
3. Use the word “learn.” This is one of the easiest ways to adopt a growth mindset. Volunteer for new projects.  Join a new committee.  When we emphasize learning, there’s no such thing as failure. Learn something new.

When your mindset is focused on learning and growth, when faced with a challenge or if you hear “you can't” your first thought becomes: “Just watch me!”

And THAT’S the benefit of a growth mindset.

Homework:

This week, when you meet your first roadblock/challenge/frustration, stop and consciously look at it through a growth mindset lens. 

Ask yourself:

• What information is this situation giving me?
• What can I learn from this information?  What can I do better?  
• What will I do next?

See how it changes your emotions and thoughts around the situation - are you feeling more positive?  More motivated?  More determined?

Are you ready to grow?  

Let me know.  You can message me on LinkedIn or send me a message through the Talk About Talk website.

Talk soon,

Andrea

Dr. Andrea Wojnicki is a Harvard-educated executive communication coach. She founded "Talk About Talk" to help ambitious executives communicate with confidence and clarity. Focusing on personal branding, overcoming imposter syndrome, listening, demonstrating leadership, and formal presentation skills, Andrea provides 1:1 coaching, workshops, keynote speeches, and online courses. She also serves as a columnist at Inc. magazine and hosts the Talk About Talk podcast, with over 150 episodes and counting.