EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Research emerging from Stanford highlights the benefits of the ‘growth mindset’, and the idea has taken Silicon Valley by storm. In an age of rapidly evolving technologies, the growth mindset offers a mind map for adapting quickly and cheering on change. Among other things, it also encourages professionals to think about how they can effectively teach, lead with and grow their skills.

Microsoft “has embraced this philosophy to transition the tech giant from a “know it all” to a “learn it all” work environment”.

As all of us know, implementing cutting-edge technologies can offer businesses competitive advantages. However, employees often balk when confronted with policies and platforms that force them to diverge from routines.

Getting employee buy-in for fostering a new corporate culture is the first step in getting your growth mindset off the ground. To do this:

  1. Encourage employees to recognize that their talent levels and output levels are not No matter where a person is within the organizational hierarchy, there’s always room for improvement, which often leads to deeper levels of satisfaction at work and increased personal and professional gains.
  2. Encourage employees to take certain kinds of risks, and to ask critical questions along the way. A fearful employee who shies away from action is unlikely to maximally contribute to their own professional growth, and to corporate growth as a whole.
  3. Executives must consider how their decisions reflect their commitment to employee career development, and the growth mindset. In order to help employees grow instead of grumble, consider hiring for open positions from within rather than immediately turning to outside candidates. This is one way of showing your commitment to this innovative corporate culture.

For insights on how to leverage the growth mindset within your organization, see this article from Forbes.