I found a Harvard Business Review article discussing some misconceptions abuot growth mindset, but what struck me most was this introductory paragraph about company cultures of growth mindset v. fixed mindset and the impacts: "When entire companies embrace a growth mindset, their employees report feeling far more empowered and committed; they also receive far greater organizational support for collaboration and innovation. In contrast, people at primarily fixed-mindset companies report more of only one thing: cheating and deception among employees, presumably to gain an advantage in the talent race." (1) - Carol Dweck, HBR, 2016 The diction is striking... "empowered and committed" v. "cheating and deception". It is interesting because one can see how the latter can happen. If your view is fixed-mindset, and you operate in a competitive company environment there is not much left to do, but act to survive and that can lead to the "advantage" seeking behaviors described. It reminds me of a quote by Simon Sinek he uses in several talks I have listened to, where he says, "In the military, they give medals for people who are willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may survive. In business, we give bonuses to people who sacrifice others." (2) That "zero sum mindset" would not only make for an awful work environment (in my opinion), but also may speak to why we see some very negative and amoral decisions that can come from some companies. The other side, speaks to the power of a growth mindset approach for an organization, collaboration, innovation, empowerment, commitment, are all great benefits that benefit the bottom line. Interestingly, as I have moved in my company over my decade-plus-long career, I find that this can be heavily influenced by direct supervisors or business unit leadership. While we talk of overall company culture, individual leaders can have a great impact on the extent to which the growth or fixed approach is prevalent on their team or in their projects. (1) Dweck, C. (2016, January 13). What Having a "Growth Mindset" Actually Means. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means (2) Simon Sinek Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/simon_sinek_568109
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AuthorHi, my I a name is Lauralee Roddy. I am a working professional in the Learning and Capability space of Change Management. I have worked for over 10 years in the Energy Manufacturing industry, but in my heart have always had a love for education. I am now going to school part time to get a Masters in International Relations and another in Digital Learning and Leading. ArchivesCategories |