Читать книгу When the Economy Changes ... I'm Outta' Here - Pamela Jett - Страница 6

Your mindset – the way you view the world, work, people, experiences, and everything else around you – has a tremendous impact on your ability to use engaging

communication. Mindset is a simple concept defined by world- renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck after decades of research on achievement and success.10

Essentially, Dweck contends that there are two basic mindsets: “fixed” and “growth,” and the mindset we choose can have a profound impact on our behavior and on our success. These mindsets can be summed up as follows:

Traits

•The “fixed” mindset sees traits such as intelligence as “fixed,” or set. A fixed mindset leader would believe that some employees are simply smarter than others and that training, education, or other opportunities are unlikely to change their intelligence level substantially. What an incredibly “disengaging” mindset! This leader or professional doesn’t believe people can learn or develop, so they withhold opportunities, don’t have meaningful conversations about career advancement, and in general treat those who they see as smart and talented in one way (rewarding) and those who they view as less smart and talented in another (withholding). It is very demoralizing to work for a fixed mindset leader if you are looking to have meaningful performance conversations and/or are looking to report to and work with someone who respects you.

•In contrast, the “growth” mindset sees traits like intelligence as something that can be developed. A growth mindset leader believes that through training, education, and other opportunities, people can learn, grow, and develop. This belief can be the foundation for creating employee engagement. Respecting people’s ability to grow and develop can be a precursor to meaningful performance conversations, opportunities to work on interesting projects, and other “engaging” behaviors.

Risk and Change

•The fixed mindset sees risk and change as threats. So, naturally, these leaders place a low value on innovation and new ideas. A fixed mindset leader finds it difficult to encourage people to try new things. They also exhibit stagnant behaviors, such as trying to keep doing things they way they’ve always been done when innovation would be more effective. It is very disengaging to work in a stagnant environment where opportunities to contribute and collaborate don’t exist.

•The growth mindset sees risk and change as opportunities to learn. Naturally, these people are less resistant to change. They are more comfortable with a degree of calculated risk because they know that they may learn from the experience. A growth mindset leader encourages people to innovate, try new things, and be open to creative ways of accomplishing goals. This creates an exciting, dynamic, and engaging environment.

Entitlement

•An individual with a fixed mindset can often feel special, entitled, or better than others. This mindset can foster a “my way or the highway” leadership style where this leader believes that they know best because they have a position of power or authority.

•An individual with a growth mindset can feel good about themselves, but not at the expense of others. This mindset can foster a more open leadership style that involves generous praise and a focus on goal achievement rather than trying to look good or better than others.

Criticism

•Criticism and feedback (even if it is positive) can be viewed by the fixed mindset individual as a threat to the core of their existence. Imagine that all of your life you’ve been told you have a talent for numbers, that you are “smart” that way. (And remember, with a fixed mindset, you are either good with numbers or you’re not; you can’t really change.) Any data that contradicts this view – such as being told that you’ve made a mistake – can cause you, the fixed mindset person to question your entire view of yourself. Feedback that isn’t consistent with your self-image can be devastating. As a result, fixed mindset people are not open to feedback – it’s just too scary. They also rarely offer feedback. Obviously, this doesn’t bode well for meaningful performance conversations.

•A growth mindset individual doesn’t see feedback or criticism as a threat. Rather, they see feedback as something that fuels their growth and takes some of the pain out of the learning curve. If they receive feedback that is not in alignment with their self-perception, they don’t instantly accept or reject the feedback. Rather, they consider the source, the motivation, and the accuracy of the feedback. Then they either reject the feedback as inaccurate or accept it and allow their self-concept to change. Clearly, this means they value feedback and can participate well in meaningful performance conversations.

Failure

•Fixed mindset people often allow failure to define them. “I failed at this task,” they may think, “I must be a failure.” Failure isn’t a form of feedback or a learning experience; it is devastating to them. A fixed mindset leader is, therefore, very critical of failure in others – fostering an environment where fear rules and innovation suffers.

•Growth mindset people don’t allow failure to define them. Failure, for them, is another form of feedback they can learn from. It doesn’t devastate them; it motivates them. A growth mindset leader is, therefore, tolerant of failure in others as long as they learn from it – fostering an environment where innovation and creativity thrive.

Without question, the growth mindset individual is the kind of individual more likely to practice engaging communication. And the connection between growth mindset leaders and employee engagement is clear. Research reveals that:

•Managers with a growth mindset notice improvement in their employees, whereas those with a fixed mindset do not (because they are stuck in their initial impression).11

•Peter Heslin, Don Vandewalle, and Gary Latham showed that employees evaluated their growth mindset managers as providing better coaching for employee development.12

Mindset is that it is just that: a mindset. And you can always change your mind. Many people struggle with some fixed mindset tendencies, and, in fact, we aren’t always just one mindset or the other. The great news is, research reveals that simply being aware of these mindset differences goes a long way towards fostering a growth mindset. If you sometimes find yourself in a fixed mindset, then making a conscious effort to overcome those limiting beliefs and choosing a growth mindset will assist you tremendously to communicate in a way that enhances employee engagement.

Human beings,

by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the out aspects of their lives.

~ William James