15 Sep 2015 Can You Conquer Your Mountain?
In 1952 Sir Edmund Hillary attempted to climb Mount Everest but failed. A few weeks later, a group in England asked him to address its members. Hillary walked on stage to thunderous applause. He then moved away from the microphone and walked to the edge of the platform. He made a fist and pointed at a picture of the mountain. He said in a loud voice, “Mount Everest, you beat me the first time, but I’ll beat you the next time because you’ve grown all you are going to grow… but I’m still growing!”**
In this news post, I want to talk to you about The Growth Mindset.
** Taken from the website of Harrison Barnes. http://www.hb.org/never-stop-growing/
The Science:
Professor Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford University, was probably not there at Sir Edmund’s presentation, but she dedicated her life to researching the Growth Mindset he so passionately believed in.
In her book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck explains the critical impact of our mindset on our success in life.
People, as well as organizations, are typically somewhere on the continuum between two extreme mindsets: the Fixed Mindset and the Growth Mindset.
Fixed Mindset:
People with a Fixed Mindset believe that they are innately limited or innately talented.
If they believe in the former, they are devoid of the hope of achieving great things in their lives. They dare not try for fear of failure. And so this self-limiting belief defines who they are and who they shall remain.
If they believe that they are innately talented or smart, they grow to defend this belief throughout their lives. They dare not try for fear that failing will shatter their image of themselves. They do not take criticism well. They become highly defensive in the face of the slightest of criticisms. So after a while, people who are close to them (such as family and co-workers) stop critiquing them, making constructive suggestions, or even communicating dissenting opinions. And thus, people with a fixed mindset stop growing.
Organizations can have a fixed mindset too. These organizations promote a culture where employees are valued for how smart they are, not for learning and growing, not for trying, not for risking, and not for daring to fail.
Growth Mindset:
Conversely, people with a Growth Mindset believe that even if they don’t have the innate talent, they must try. They must persevere in learning until they achieve their desired goal. They embrace a challenge even in the face of great fears. They are willing to fail, or even welcome failure, as they deeply believe that in the end, they will emerge victorious – just like Sir Edmund.
Organizations can also promote a growth mindset. They cultivate a culture where learning and trying are encouraged and rewarded. They do not label people as geniuses and reward them just for having been born with a higher IQ. They promote open and safe cultures where everyone can “take the podium” and share their ideas, even the lower level, and inexperienced employees, for this is how the organization will grow and innovate.
Our Recommendation:
Here are some recommendations based on Dweck’s work:
For Parents and Teachers:
• Praise the child for his or her effort in trying, not for being talented or beautiful.
• Do not criticize the child for failing.
• Rather, teach the child to learn from his/her failures.
• Encourage him/her to pursue their passions and hopes, and persevere in doing so.
For Organizations:
• Cultivate a culture of respect and openness.
• Encourage employees to express their creative ideas freely.
• Reward effort and prudent risk-taking.
• Encourage and reward collaboration and helping each other.
• Implement an effective mentoring “system”.
• Encourage accountability partnering.
Learn More:
To learn more about some of these concepts visit our website at www.thewilltochange.com
