In the nearly forty years that I have been involved in personal and organisational development, I have never (honestly, never) worked with an individual or a team that has not been stuck in a negative or limiting mindset. I have come to the conclusion that mindsets really do govern perceptions, attitudes, behaviour, culture and so much more. So, I am going to spend a little time examining them in a bit more depth with the intention of helping you and your team/tribe/company to change your mindsets: to break habitual patterns that don’t support you and change them to reflect what you want to achieve.
So, what is a mindset?
I see a mindset as a beautifully framed picture or painting. The image is contained within a frame, so you can’t see anything more than what is contained in or confined to that frame. The view or the image within the frame never changes.
Imagine a number of pictures, all of which you have acquired because they appeal to you, hanging on a wall in your home. Each picture is enclosed by a frame that has been chosen to set it off. The only thing beyond the frames is the wall they are hanging on.
When you look at one of your pictures, your view or your perception is limited by the frame within which it is contained. You’ve looked at it many times and you are comfortable with it. Furthermore, your picture may have been hanging in the same place for a long time so you’ve become so accustomed to it that you don’t even notice it anymore! You take it for granted.
Here is the more scientific explanation.
Mindsets are unexamined beliefs or assumptions that limit our view of the world. They feel personal and they seem to be true; indeed, the more you entertain them the truer they seem to become!
To give you an example: years ago, I was persuaded to commit to running a marathon. This was back in the early eighties when marathon running wasn’t the popular sport that it is today. My mindset about any kind of physical activity was deeply negative, one that had been drummed into me by my mother throughout my early upbringing, which resulted in my becoming overweight and miserable. I lost the weight in secondary school and played a good deal of sport. Despite that the mindset persisted. This is one of the curious things about mindsets: even in the face of evidence to the contrary (I was in the school netball team!) I still believed that I was useless at anything sporty or physically challenging.
Back to the marathon. I had made the commitment so I had to do something about it; and, it was in aid of my favourite charity which was deeply important to me. So, I started my training in our local park by running 100 steps then walking 100 steps, gradually building up the running steps until I had run my first mile. That was my first triumph! After that it became mentally and physically easier as I slowly added more miles. My last run before the marathon was 18 miles.
Yes, you’ve guessed it, I ran that marathon and finally let go of the pernicious, negative mindset that had dogged me for so many years. That marathon was a big enough accomplishment to lay to rest the old mindset (and allow me to run another one!).
This may sound a bit simplistic, but a ‘can do’ mindset is more likely to succeed than a ‘can’t do’ one. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing, or you think you can’t do a thing, you are right.”
Mindsets are just as relevant in business as they are for you and me.
A London Business School review quotes, “By developing a leadership mindset, managers and team members become more positive, innovative, open and engaged despite the tsunami of constant change. Focusing on mindsets is the reason Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gives for the doubling of share price in just 4 years.” (Ibarra, Rattan and Johnston, LBS 2018)
Dr Carol Dweck has researched and written extensively on the subject. She articulated the idea of growth and fixed mindsets. The fixed mindset believes you have a certain set of skills and experiences and these determine how successful you will be. It also means that if you don’t think you have the aptitude, you won’t try because you believe you won’t be successful. As a result, your life shrinks as even the things you are naturally good at become less and less special.
A growth mindset understands that skills are not innate, they can be learned. Whilst some people might have a genetic aptitude for something (like long legs on a hurdler), this alone isn’t enough to succeed. A growth mindset recognises potential: it recognises that we can always learn and grow. It accepts that discipline and practice are the path to mastery.
Fixed or limiting mindsets, as the name suggests, constrain us, keep us small. They restrict our vision and what we think is possible. When you have a limiting mindset about something, you tend to resign to it and doubt your ability to impact anything. You may feel victimized. Life is happening to you or around you in the face of which you seem to be helpless. A fixed mindset stifles opportunities and possibilities. A limiting mindset is based on the past and projects that onto the present and future, thereby stifling them too. When you find yourself wishing things were different, you are severely limiting your capability.
Some examples of limiting mindsets might be:
I’d love to go for that job but I don’t have the confidence.
We tried that 2 years ago and it didn’t work.
I can’t see that anything will ever change around here.
Growth mindsets are empowering and energising. They are beliefs that expand our sense of what is possible and achievable. They are not based on the past. A growth mindset inspires curiosity, excitement and real interest in what is possible. It is not restrictive; it embraces the unknown; it is comfortable outside the comfort zone which allows new emotional territory to be explored. With a growth mindset you know you have the capability despite what may be happening around you.
Some examples of growth mindsets might be:
Just because it didn’t work last time doesn’t mean I can’t find a way forward this time.
Despite delays in manufacturing, how can we keep our client happy?
Even though the parameters have changed, what can we do to deliver the project as proposed?
Dr Carol Dweck’s research proves that mindsets can be changed (so you don’t have to take my word for it!). Yes, it can take time and practice, so does any new learning; but I promise you the dividends are enormous.
What new conversation will you have with yourself as you practice and develop your new, positive mindset?
