People are capable of more than we may realize. That is the assumption underlying the ‘growth mindset’ concept, which, while originally conceived in an academic setting, is highly applicable in today’s business world. Companies are implementing this concept to tackle challenges from an alternative angle, and as a result, enjoying improved productivity and profits.

What Is a Growth Mindset?

Psychologist, professor, and researcher Carol Dweck originated the ‘growth mindset’ concept in 2006. Through research on high school students, Dweck discovered that students who saw failure as a learning experience had a positive attitude that led to acceptance of feedback and better subsequent performance. According to Dweck, “a growth mindset is when students understand that their abilities can be developed.” A person who has a growth mindset believes that their potential to acquire new skills is mostly limited by effort, and not intelligence. 

What Is a Fixed Mindset?

This is as opposed to a ‘fixed mindset’, where a person believes that they are limited by inherent traits or abilities. They focus on outcomes because they feel that they do not have the capability to adapt. In comparison, a person with a growth mindset focuses on processes, persistence, effort, and strategies. In additional research, Dweck found that companies can also be growth-minded or fixed-minded, and this characteristic has an impact on performance. 

The table below provides a few examples of the contrast between the two mentalities as they pertain to the workplace:

Growth	Fixed
Everyone is capable of professional improvement and mobility	Employees should remain in the roles for which they were hired
Challenges are an opportunity to learn and advance	Challenges are a barrier to be avoided
Hearing feedback allows for improvement	Feedback reflects incompetence and is a threat
Learning opportunities should be taken whenever they arise	Learning opportunities are a waste of time if they are not compulsory

What’s interesting is that a fixed mindset is not necessarily bad. There are certain roles and job types that limit employee growth for valid reasons. These can include:

• A low level of skill requirements
• Minimum wages, or poor salaries for difficult work, leading to high turnover rates
• Large workforces where promotion depends on seniority

Workers who are employed in such roles are bound to be disappointed by its limitations. That is why it is essential for HR to ensure that new hires are realistic about growth opportunities in particular companies and industries. Still, these types of roles are ideal for students, unskilled workers, and people who prefer low-commitment jobs.  

Developing a Workplace Growth Mindset

Although individuals and companies tend to start off with either a fixed or a growth mindset, attitudes can be changed. There are various steps that companies can take to encourage growth-mindedness: 

Place more emphasis on goal-setting

Profitability counts, but many organizations tend to put more focus on short-term achievements. Research suggests that a long-term focus leads to higher profitability. Setting goals to optimize processes takes more time but pays off in the long run.     

Promote an inclusive environment

‍One element of a fixed mindset is that it evaluates solutions through set methods. The input of employees at all levels should be sought to encourage the analysis of problems from different perspectives.  

Do not penalize failure

‍Organizations should differentiate between best efforts, which are to be commended, and carelessness, which is unacceptable. Those who try but fail should be given thorough feedback sessions to discover what went wrong and how the organization can learn from the experience. 

Provide opportunities for upskilling and reskilling 

‍The growth mindset originated with the idea that the right attitude is essential for expanding a person’s abilities. However, another factor that enables development is learning. Reskilling is the practice of adding to an employee’s workplace skills so that they may move laterally within an organization. Upskilling means enhancing a worker’s current skill level. Through related L&D programs, employees can put their growth mindset into action and acquire more qualifications.

Enable coaching programs

‍Creating and supporting a growth mindset is a long-term project that is ideal for the close supervision of a coach. Through advising employees about how to use growth mindset applications in their daily activities, coaching is a practical way to bring about a comprehensive change in outlook and behavior.   

Learning and Development for the Growth Mindset

There is obviously a strong link between the growth mindset and learning, especially when considering that the concept began in a study of education. HR practitioners who are interested in building this mentality must ensure that employees have related skills and that the organization creates the right kinds of programs. Let’s examine a few aspects of a fixed mindset as described above, and how it can be addressed using L&D.

Static position in the organization. HR should implement basic initiatives such as career management and promote internal recruitment. Employees should be exposed to opportunities that interest them, for example, through job rotation, job shadowing, and leadership courses.

Avoidance of challenges. There are many skills that employees can use to deal with workplace challenges, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication.

Dislike of feedback. Much of the time, this can be an issue of how a manager presents criticism, and so they should be taught related best practices. These include feedback that is actionable, measurable, consistent, and empathetic. 

Rejection of learning opportunities. Showing an employee how learning will boost their careers starts with career planning. To ensure that there is a constant flow of L&D programs for workers who become involved with the growth mindset, HR can consider a continuous professional development program.   

Organizational Changes

Applying a growth mindset also requires the company to change its ways. For example, in hiring, the regular ‘fixed’ approach is to cover skill gaps by recruiting from outside the organization. In contrast, growth mindset companies look first for existing talent. Similarly, during the hiring process, the fixed method is to emphasize applicants’ education and past accomplishments. An organization using a growth mindset will instead prefer to see the candidates’ demonstration of advancement, an inquisitive personality, and interest in constant learning. 

Business Benefits of a Growth Mindset

Dweck studied the impact of a growth mindset on organizations compared to those with a fixed mindset. Through surveys, Dweck’s team discovered fascinating employee attitudes: 

• 49% greater likelihood to believe that the company is interested in innovation; an organizational culture of learning enables more opportunities for creativity  
• 34% greater likelihood to feel a strong sense of commitment; the inclusive environment makes employees feel dedicated to a company that listens to them
• 47% greater likelihood to trust colleagues; if employees can increase their abilities, they tend to see other talented workers as collaborators instead of a threat
• 65% greater likelihood to say that the company is in favor of risk-taking; allowing motivated employees to implement their ideas means that the business is interested in taking a chance to follow through on their ideas

Speaking of Growth… 

With a platform that is ideal for scalable learning and development initiatives such as reskilling and upskilling, Growthspace is the method behind the mindset. The Growthspace platform enables L&D practitioners to match their people with top coaches and mentors for the application of growth mindset concepts anywhere in the world. Growthspace technology is making it possible for leading organizations to turn L&D initiatives into real-world employee skills.