Growth Mindset at Work (G): The Secret Sauce You Might Be Missing

A-Z Series at Psychology@Work

At some point in my youth, I was a card-carrying member of the "either you've got it or you don't" club. ✋

Picture me in middle school, silently fuming while watching classmates ask "stupid questions" (yes, I was that person) and thinking, "Some people just aren't cut out for this." Meanwhile, I'd panic internally whenever I didn't understand something immediately, convinced it was proof of my limited intellectual capacity rather than the normal learning process.

Sound familiar? If you're nodding along, welcome to the not-so-exclusive club of fixed-mindset thinking. The good news? I've spent years reading research and thinking about how we can escape this mental prison – and I'm here to share the jail-break plan.

What Even Is a Mindset (And Why Should You Care)? 🤔

Let's start with the basics. A mindset isn't just some fluffy psychological concept – it's the mental framework through which you view literally everything. It's like wearing tinted glasses without realizing they're colored.

Your mindset:

• Shapes the meaning you assign to events ("My presentation bombed because I'm terrible at public speaking" vs "My presentation showed me areas I need to practice")

• Sets the boundaries of what you believe is possible ("I could never learn to code at my age" vs "Learning to code will take time, but it's totally doable")

• Acts as a filter for deciding which actions are worth taking ("Why bother applying for that promotion when I don't have all the qualifications?" vs "Applying for that promotion will be a growth opportunity regardless of the outcome")

Fixed vs. Growth: The Mindset Showdown ⚡

The phrase "Growth Mindset" (first proposed by Carol Dweck) refers specifically to our beliefs about the nature of human abilities.

If you have a fixed mindset, you essentially believe that your abilities are stable, innate traits, much like your height or eye color. You might think, "I'm just not a math person" or "I've never been good with technology," as if these were unchangeable facts about your identity.

If you have a growth mindset, you believe that abilities can be developed through dedication, good strategies, and feedback. You might think, "I'm not yet skilled in financial analysis, but with practice and guidance, I can improve."

Let's Clear Up Some Confusion🔍

Before we proceed, we need to clarify a key distinction: a growth mindset is not the same as grit, resilience, or effort.

• Grit is about perseverance for long-term goals

• Resilience is your ability to bounce back from setbacks

• Effort is the actual work you put in

I've seen many workplace training programs lump these concepts together as if they were interchangeable. They're not! You could have tremendous grit, but still believe your abilities are fixed. You could put in massive effort, but without a growth mindset, you might give up at the first sign of failure.

(This is my academic pet peeve – can you tell?)

The Messy Truth About Mindsets 📝

Here's something that doesn't make it into the motivational posters: Mindsets aren't black and white. They exist on a spectrum, and most of us fall somewhere in the middle.

Even more confusingly, your mindset can be domain-specific. For example, I have a robust growth mindset about my research and writing skills (I've put in thousands of hours improving these), but I maintained an embarrassingly fixed mindset about my artistic abilities for years. "I just can't draw" was my mantra until my 5-year-old niece challenged me to a 30-day doodling contest. (Spoiler: She still draws better than me, but I've improved considerably!)

Pro Tip: Mindsets can become unconscious scripts in our minds – voices that speak to us about what is and isn't possible. These scripts color how we see the world without us even noticing they're there! ⭐

Is All This Growth Mindset Hype Actually Justified? (The Research Says Yes!)

If you're like me, you're probably suspicious of trendy psychological concepts that get turned into corporate buzzwords faster than you can say "synergy." But here's the thing – the research on growth mindset is actually pretty solid.

Over 72 studies, involving 17,000 individuals, have examined the effects of mindsets on outcomes. And the results? They're impressive enough that even my skeptical researcher brain is convinced.

The Growth Mindset Superpower Package 💫

When you cultivate a growth mindset about your skills and abilities, here's what research shows happens:

1️⃣ You Develop Ninja-Level Coping Skills

When faced with setbacks (which, let's be honest, happen approximately 347 times per workweek), those with a growth mindset interpret challenges differently.

Fixed mindset response to failure: "I bombed that presentation because I'm just not good at public speaking. Why did I even try? I should stick to what I'm naturally good at."

Growth mindset response: "That presentation didn't go as planned. What specific aspects can I improve next time? Maybe I should join Toastmasters or ask a colleague for feedback."

I still remember the sting of having a journal article rejected early in my career. My fixed-mindset voice was screaming, "You're not cut out for academia!" But my emerging growth mindset whispered, "What can I learn from these reviewer comments?" Guess which voice led to eventual publication?

2️⃣ You Focus on Learning Rather Than Looking Smart

With a growth mindset, you're more likely to pursue mastery goals (becoming better at something) rather than performance goals (proving you're already good at something).

Fixed mindset approach: "I'll only volunteer for projects where I know I'll excel. Better to look competent than risk looking foolish."

Growth mindset approach: "This challenging project is exactly what I need to develop new skills. Sure, I might struggle initially, but that's where the growth happens."

3️⃣ You Actually Value Training (Instead of Just Enduring It)

We've all sat through workplace training sessions thinking, "Why am I here? I could be doing actual work!" But those with a growth mindset view training differently.

Research indicates that individuals with growth mindsets are more committed to pursuing development opportunities, even when progress is slow or challenging. They understand that mastery is a marathon, not a sprint.

4️⃣ You're Not Too Proud to Ask for Help

This one hit me personally. For years, I avoided asking questions in meetings or reaching out to colleagues when I was stuck. Why? Because I was terrified it would expose me as an impostor who didn't belong.

With a growth mindset, seeking help isn't seen as a weakness but as a strategic move toward improvement. It's like having a GPS instead of wandering around lost, but too proud to ask for directions.

The "I Want a Growth Mindset" Starter Pack: Your Turn! 🚀

Changing your mindset doesn't happen overnight (wouldn't that be nice?). But here's a roadmap to get you started:

Step 1: Become a Mindset Detective

First, you need to recognize your current mindset. What areas of your work do you believe are simply "not your strength"? What skills do you avoid because you think you "just don't have the knack for it"?

Be gentle with yourself during this investigation. These beliefs didn't form in a vacuum – they were shaped by parents, teachers, cultural messages, and workplace experiences.

I recall a former boss who would regularly categorize team members as "creative types" and "analytical types," never allowing for crossover. That kind of labeling sticks with you!

Step 2: Challenge Your Fixed Beliefs with Cold, Hard Evidence

Once you've identified your fixed mindset areas, it's time to gather evidence that challenges these beliefs.

When I was convinced I couldn't improve my public speaking, I delved into a rabbit hole of reading neuroscience research on adult learning and brain plasticity. What I discovered shocked me: our brains continue forming new neural connections throughout adulthood. The science literally contradicted my "I can't get better at this" belief.

Try it yourself: Find research, examples, or stories that counter your fixed beliefs about a particular skill. Even better, look for evidence from fields unrelated to work, like learning a musical instrument or a sport as an adult.

Step 3: Stalk Your Role Models (In a Non-Creepy Way)

We all have professional heroes – people whose careers we admire and aspire to emulate. But here's where we often go wrong: we attribute their success to innate brilliance rather than process.

Make a list of your role models and then do some detective work. How did they actually get where they are? What failures did they experience? What deliberate practice did they engage in?

I used to idolize certain academic researchers until I heard their lifetime achievement speeches. Listening to them detail their rejections, false starts, and moments of doubt was revolutionary for my mindset. These "geniuses" were actually persistent learners who continued to show up despite setbacks.

Step 4: Become Your Own Supportive Parent

This might sound strange, but bear with me: Start talking to yourself the way you would talk to a friend or a child you care about.

When my nephew says, "I can't do math," his mother doesn't say, "You're right, you're hopeless." She says, "You haven't figured it out YET. Let's try a different approach."

Give yourself the same compassionate guidance. When you hear that fixed mindset voice say, "You'll never be good at financial analysis," counter with, "I'm not skilled at financial analysis YET. What's one small step I can take to improve?"

The Bottom Line: Your Brain Is More Like Play-Doh Than Porcelain

If you've made it this far, chances are you already have a growth mindset streak in you. After all, you're reading an article about psychological research to improve yourself – that's growth mindset behavior in action!

The beauty of understanding mindsets is that simply knowing about them starts to change how you think. You begin to catch yourself in fixed-mindset moments and can gently redirect your thinking.

And here's my favorite part: you don't need to maintain a perfect growth mindset 100% of the time. Even Carol Dweck admits to having moments with a fixed mindset. It's about recognizing when you're in a fixed mindset and having strategies to shift toward a growth mindset.

So the next time you hear yourself say "I'm not good at..." try adding one simple word: "yet." It's a tiny linguistic shift with a massive psychological impact.

I'd love to hear: What area of your work life has been most affected by fixed mindset thinking? And what's one small step you could take to shift toward growth? Drop your thoughts in the comments – I actually read them all! 💭

P.S. If you're wondering whether reading this article can actually change your mindset, the answer is a resounding yes! Research shows that simply learning about mindsets can help shift your approach to challenges. So congratulations, you've already started!

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