Change and mindset:
how to deal with it
Everyone deals with changes in their life, sometimes without having any control over them. Think of a reorganization in which your job becomes redundant. How you respond to this is something you do have control over. This is what we call your mindset.
Research into motivation, personality, and development distinguishes two important mindsets: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.
What is the difference?
People with a fixed mindset believe that their talents and abilities are set. Practicing makes little sense; you can’t change much. People with a growth mindset, on the other hand, see talents and abilities as something you can develop. With practice and effort, you can get better. Where someone with a fixed mindset thinks: “I can’t do that,” someone with a growth mindset thinks: “I can’t do that yet.”
Mindset and change
Mindset plays a crucial role in how someone deals with change. Take the shift to online working:
Someone with a fixed mindset often sees changes as threatening. They’re afraid their shortcomings will be exposed and want to avoid making mistakes, which hinders their development. Someone with a growth mindset sees change as an opportunity. They’re not afraid to make mistakes, because that’s how you learn. This allows them to develop new skills more quickly.
With a growth mindset, every change becomes an opportunity to grow.
A growth mindset culture within organizations
The benefits of a growth mindset for organizations are clear: it makes the organization more resilient and stimulates innovation. Creating a growth mindset culture starts with trusting in the learning ability of employees and investing in personal development. It also means creating an environment where mistakes are allowed and where employees actively seek help and ask for feedback.
An important aspect is the mindset of the leaders. They determine how employee development is evaluated: based on results or on effort and ideas.
Conclusion: start with yourself
Do you want to encourage a growth mindset in others? Then it starts with your own mindset.
