Developing a Growth Mindset: The Foundation for Continuous Improvement

Harvard Business Review research indicates that companies with a "growth mindset" can observe a 34% increase in employee engagement and loyalty. 📈 Additionally, half of the employees in these companies feel they play a role in innovation and are proud of where they work.

So, what is this "growth mindset"? And why has it become the secret to success for many teams, including mine? Let's explore together.

A growth mindset carries the idea that every person, regardless of their starting point, can continuously expand their skills through learning, diligence, and internal motivation. Success here is not just an inherent talent or intellect but a reward for personal development, built step by step. This is like a real magic of growth, where everyone is capable of creating a better version of themselves.

Now, a few insights I gained about a growth mindset from my own experience. Not always positive, by the way:)

🎯 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬. I realised that goals based on learning stimulate teams to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. So, implementing group training significantly influenced the realisation of goals. It's also decent team-building.🙂

🤝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬. Before, I didn't understand that failures are a natural part of the learning process. So, it's essential to show the team that you believe in them, even despite mistakes. Now, I always use support in chats or one-to-one.

🚀 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞. Before, I set tasks corresponding to the employees' skills. Of course, we always got a cool result. Yet, I realised that such an approach makes the work more routine, and over time, motivation drops. So now, some tasks for each individual go beyond their basic skills. Do we always get a cool result the first time? Of course not, but the team has never been so motivated to develop and achieve new goals.

🗣️ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. Over the years, I understood that feedback helps a team learn and develop. Now, I always encourage team members to give each other positive feedback.

❓ 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 "𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲" 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Before, I didn't understand where so many "silly" questions came from. Now, I know it's a great way to increase understanding and learn something new. I encourage teams to ask questions, even if they seem obvious. I believe it's better to ask a question one more time than to redo the entire task later.

📊 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. Are you tracking how many hours your teams work per day? I did the same until I realised it doesn't affect the result. People with a growth mindset prefer evaluation based on results rather than hours worked. Now, individuals keep separate reports for each project. Moreover, I regularly analyse completed tasks.

🚶♂️ 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩. I understood that it was impossible to change a team's mindset in one day. You have to start with small steps and gradually move in the right direction. Decomposing tasks helps me a lot in this.

Over the years, I initiated a culture of learning, support, and creativity in teams.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭? A team that not only performs routine work but achieves incredible heights. The growth mindset has become a (not so secret anymore) weapon for success!