What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means - Harvard ...

A growth mindset is just about praising and rewarding effort. This isn't true for students in schools, and it's not true for employees in ... Youhave1freearticlesleftthismonth. Youarereadingyourlastfreearticleforthismonth. Subscribeforunlimitedaccess. Createanaccounttoread2more. Managingyourself WhatHavinga“GrowthMindset”ActuallyMeans by CarolDweck by CarolDweck January13,2016 AndrewNguyen/HBRSTAFF Tweet Post Share Save Print Tweet Post Share Save Print Leerenespañol Leremportuguês Scholarsaredeeplygratifiedwhentheirideascatchon.Andtheyareevenmoregratifiedwhentheirideasmakeadifference— improvingmotivation,innovation,orproductivity,forexample.Butpopularityhasaprice:peoplesometimesdistortideas,andthereforefailtoreaptheirbenefits.Thishasstartedtohappenwithmyresearchon“growth”versus“fixed”mindsetsamongindividualsandwithinorganizations. Tobrieflysumupthefindings:Individualswhobelievetheirtalentscanbedeveloped(throughhardwork,goodstrategies,andinputfromothers)haveagrowthmindset.Theytendtoachievemorethanthosewithamorefixedmindset(thosewhobelievetheirtalentsareinnategifts).Thisisbecausetheyworrylessaboutlookingsmartandtheyputmoreenergyintolearning. Whenentirecompaniesembraceagrowthmindset,theiremployeesreportfeelingfarmoreempoweredandcommitted;theyalsoreceivefargreaterorganizationalsupportforcollaborationandinnovation.Incontrast,peopleatprimarilyfixed-mindsetcompaniesreportmoreofonlyonething:cheatinganddeceptionamongemployees,presumablytogainanadvantageinthetalentrace. ReadmoreaboutCrisismanagement 5WaysaCrisisCanHelpYouCultivateaGrowthMindset Inthewakeofthesefindings,“growthmindset”hasbecomeabuzzwordinmanymajorcompanies,evenworking itswayintotheirmissionstatements.ButwhenIprobe,Ioftendiscoverthatpeople’sunderstandingoftheideaislimited.Let’stakealookatthreecommonmisconceptions. Ialreadyhaveit,andIalwayshave.Peopleoftenconfuseagrowthmindsetwithbeingflexibleoropen-mindedorwithhavingapositiveoutlook— qualitiestheybelievethey’vesimplyalwayshad.MycolleaguesandIcallthisafalsegrowthmindset.Everyoneisactuallyamixtureoffixedandgrowthmindsets,andthatmixturecontinuallyevolveswithexperience.A“pure”growthmindsetdoesn’texist, whichwehavetoacknowledgeinordertoattainthebenefitsweseek. Agrowthmindsetisjustaboutpraisingandrewardingeffort.Thisisn’ttrueforstudentsinschools,andit’snottrueforemployeesinorganizations.Inbothsettings,outcomesmatter.Unproductiveeffortisneveragoodthing.It’scriticaltorewardnotjusteffortbutlearningandprogress,andtoemphasizetheprocessesthatyieldthesethings,suchasseekinghelpfromothers,tryingnewstrategies,andcapitalizingonsetbackstomoveforwardeffectively.Inallofourresearch,theoutcome— thebottomline— followsfromdeeplyengagingintheseprocesses. Justespouseagrowthmindset,andgoodthingswillhappen.Missionstatementsarewonderfulthings.Youcan’targuewithloftyvalueslikegrowth,empowerment,orinnovation.Butwhatdotheymeantoemployeesifthecompanydoesn’timplementpoliciesthatmakethemrealandattainable?Theyjustamounttolipservice. Organizationsthatembodyagrowthmindsetencourageappropriaterisk-taking,knowingthatsomeriskswon’tworkout.Theyrewardemployeesforimportantandusefullessonslearned,evenifaprojectdoesnotmeetitsoriginalgoals.Theysupportcollaborationacrossorganizationalboundariesratherthancompetitionamongemployeesorunits.Theyarecommittedtothegrowthofeverymember,notjustinwordsbutindeeds,suchasbroadlyavailabledevelopmentandadvancementopportunities.Andtheycontinuallyreinforcegrowthmindsetvalueswithconcretepolicies. Evenifwecorrectthesemisconceptions,it’sstillnoteasytoattainagrowthmindset.Onereasonwhyisweallhaveourownfixed-mindsettriggers.Whenwefacechallenges,receivecriticism,orfarepoorlycomparedwithothers,wecaneasilyfallintoinsecurityordefensiveness,aresponsethatinhibitsgrowth.Ourworkenvironments,too,canbefulloffixed-mindsettriggers.Acompanythatplaysthetalentgamemakesitharderforpeopletopracticegrowth-mindsetthinkingandbehavior,suchassharinginformation,collaborating,innovating,seekingfeedback,oradmittingerrors. TheNewWorldofWork Candidconversationsontalent,tech,andthefutureofbusiness.Aspecialemailseriesforsubscribers. SignUp SignUp SignUp Youcanviewour othernewslettersoroptoutatanytimebymanagingyour emailpreferences. Toremaininagrowthzone,wemustidentifyandworkwiththesetriggers.Manymanagersandexecutiveshavebenefitedfromlearningtorecognizewhentheirfixed-mindset“persona”showsupandwhatitsaystomakethemfeelthreatenedordefensive.Mostimportantly,overtimetheyhavelearnedtotalkbacktoit,persuadingittocollaboratewiththemastheypursuechallenginggoals. It’shardwork,butindividualsandorganizationscangainalotbydeepeningtheirunderstandingofgrowth-mindsetconceptsandtheprocessesforputtingthemintopractice.Itgivesthemarichersenseofwhotheyare,whattheystandfor,andhowtheywanttomoveforward. ReadmoreonManagingyourself orrelatedtopics Personalgrowthandtransformation, Psychology, Developingemployees andLeadershipqualities CD CarolDweckistheLewis&VirginiaEatonProfessorofPsychologyatStanfordUniversityandtheauthorofMindset:TheNewPsychologyofSuccess. 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