by Norman Halls, contributor
They’re doing the work, but production is having an impact in some sectors of manufacturing or the process. If employees are having problems there are a number of avenues. First, the manager assumes that the employee(s) have the technology to perform task. Second, are inadequate communications possible and/or we have developed fixed traits? Strong decision-making is important at this phase. It requires a careful balance of creativity and logical thinking. “Businesses grow and evolve as their employees do. If employees are encouraged to pursue learning and growth, it follows that the organization should be quick to evolve as well. In research, organizations which emphasize learning are 46 percent more likely to be first to market, 58 percent more prepared to meet future demand, and 37 percent more productive.” Wrote N. Beckerman Reflektive Group. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” -Albert Einstein
“Having a “growth” mindset (vs. a “fixed” one). And if you want to change your behaviors, find meaningful work, build better habits, and stay current in the future of work, you need to have one.” Wrote Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck. Employers/managers have responsibility to stay on the forefront of technology and advancement in product innovation or process innovation. Anyone in the organization can lead and make a difference if he/she is prepared to adapt, grow and learn what is called growth mindset. R. Capozzi of Capozzi Group commented: “A growth mindset assumes that continued growth and improvement is possible. People with a growth mindset take full responsibility for their lives. They believe that with the right motivation and skills, anyone’s true potential is virtually unlimited. It doesn’t take long to recognize someone who is living with this mindset. People with this mindset have a sense of curiosity; they are open to possibilities, they have a positive outlook, and they have a desire to learn and make a difference. In short, a growth mindset promotes continued growth personally and professionally”
A leader talks to help people recognize the big picture, get inspired, and execute on a shared growth vision. But, one of the main mistake’s leaders make is thinking they are supposed to have all the answers, especially when it comes to vision. There is a natural desire to look like you are smart and supposed to know what you’re doing. But sometimes the shrewdest thing you can do is to include your staff in creating vision and strategy and invite them to reflect together about the future. To develop ‘growth mindset employee’s’, leaders should make sure they encourage risk taking. Rewards for risk taking go hand-in-hand with actually taking them. Success is not the determining factor here; challenging yourself is. The focus should be on the process and how the insight can propel the business forward.
“Research shows that managers see far more leadership potential in their employees when their companies adopt a growth mindset — the belief that talent should be developed in everyone, not viewed as a fixed, innate gift that some have and others don’t. But what are those organizations doing to nurture their talent? To explore this question, let’s look at Microsoft, which is deliberately creating a growth-mindset culture and, in that context, rethinking its approach to development. As a result, previously unidentified — yet skilled — leaders are rising to levels they might not have in a traditional development model.” Wrote Kathleen Hogan Chief People Officer at Microsoft.
One of the most important stages of problem-solving is consequence of growth mindset. Supervisors in growth-mindset companies expressed significantly more positive views about their employees than supervisors in fixed-mindset companies, rating them as more innovative, collaborative, and committed to learning and growing. They were more likely to say that their employees had management potential. Dweck’s team hasn’t yet looked at whether growth-mindset organizations actually perform better, as measured by financial returns and other metrics. “That’s our burning question,” she says. But the findings so far suggest that at a minimum, growth-mindset firms have happier employees and a more innovative, risk-taking culture.
