A Growth Mindset and Culture are critical to Company Success

Setting or changing an organization’s culture is an intensive job, especially if this change comes after the organization has existed for decades. And it all comes down to the company having either of two mindsets:

· A fixed mindset can create a hostile environment causing stagnation in the organization.

· A growth mindset will help the company thrive and get ahead of the competition.

There are three key areas that leaders can focus on to bring about a growth mindset in their organization:

1. Attract and retain like-minded employees that exhibit growth mindset characteristics

2. Train current and future leaders on how to promote a growth mindset.

3. Embed a growth mindset into your company or organization’s culture

With this, organizations and their employees are readily prepared to adapt to a constantly changing business environment. And will continue to thrive as any obstacles are not only anticipated but are also a welcome opportunity for growth.

Training employees to have a growth mindset

Employees with a growth mindset view intelligence, talents, and abilities as learnable and can be improved through consistent effort. Such employees are more likely to take risks and channel their skills toward solving new challenges. They are always eager to learn more and explore new possibilities.

On the other hand, employees with a fixed mindset view their traits as stable, without the need or ability to change over time.

Organizations that encourage a growth mindset must break down the details of that mindset so that employees know it is okay to take risks, innovate, and potentially fail. Such communication ought to come from the top leaders, whose support is crucial for the organization’s success.

According to “Growth Mindset Culture,” an idea report by the NeuroLeadership Institute, about 69% of organizations communicated to employees through their top leaders.

An organization that encourages a growth mindset fosters trust, risk-taking leading to innovation, and more value from employees who feel part of the company’s growth.

How a growth mindset can propel your organization

A growth mindset is invaluable to every organization and is the key to innovation, while a fixed mindset hinders growth and innovation. A growth mindset can help foster organizational talent, innovate, and reap the rewards.

A company sets and achieves big goals by creating a nurturing environment where the employees are free to innovate and learn through trial and error. Companies that continue to excel in their niche after adopting a growth mindset include Apple, General Electric, and Bloomberg.

Software brand, Microsoft, has also realized more innovation after shifting to a growth mindset. As one employee rightly put it, Microsoft’s organizational culture changed from “know it all” to “Learn It All.” This change has helped Microsoft to continue leading the technology space.

What are employees with a growth mindset culture likely to do?

Employees with a growth mindset are free to try out new things and face challenges with a positive mind. Here are a few of the things they are more likely to do:

· They see feedback as a tool and opportunity to improve their performance instead of seeing it as a criticism or feeling attacked or rejected.

· They lean into challenges and do not mind showing vulnerability, making mistakes, or appearing not to know all.

· They are ready to share their knowledge and successes; since they are less envious or threatened by the success of others, they realize it takes nothing away from them.

· They are eager and committed to continually learning and developing; they recognize the awareness of what they do not know is more valuable than what they already know.

· They are open-minded to innovative ideas and styles of working, and they believe more in learning new perspectives, even though they already have the necessary job qualifications.

· They coach others with intent and awareness, readily recognizing the potential in everyone.

Why your overall business strategy should center on a growth mindset

A growth mindset rapidly transforms an organization, helping them to stay agile while facing technical uncertainty. When the management adopts a “learn it all” model instead of a “know it all” approach, the organization encourages learning, development, and innovative ideas with value.

Focusing on innovation can make your brand stand out. However, while promoting innovation, some challenges arise, like changing the employees’ traditional mindsets to encourage more free thinking and innovative ideas. Their fear of failure or risk-taking often prevents them from getting creative.

3 Ways to get started in adopting a growth mindset

· Foster continuous learning

The business and digital landscapes are changing rapidly, and employees may need to keep learning new tricks. Leaders should encourage their employees to learn the right questions to ask instead of just knowing the answer to questions.

· Leverage your learning management system

Your LMS can be an invaluable tool in your organization. And using it, leaders can host videos, offer training courses, publish articles, or leverage other helpful content.

The LMS is accessible at any time and place on the employees’ devices; here, they can enrich their knowledge and skills. In addition, team members can also add valuable content to the LMS in their area of interest.

· Encourage rich conversations

Encourage daily touch-base conversations among the employees and also regular performance check-ins. This practice allows leaders to listen to their employees keenly and notice the negative or fixed-mindset language.

The Takeaway

Forward-thinking organizations and leaders with a growth mindset think and act differently and get ahead of the competition. They also use a solution-driven approach to tackle challenges and innovate new products and services. This approach has been beneficial for software outsourcing companies.

Finally, organizations need leaders ready to go the extra mile to provide a suitable environment for employees to try new ways to solve challenges while learning through trial and error. A growth mindset is the ultimate driving way for successful organizations.