One way to enhance your team’s performance is to focus on a growth mindset. Carol Dweck argues that some people believe that they succeed based on natural gifts that they either do or don’t have. Other people associate their success with hard work, continued pursuit of a goal, or even failure. People in this second group believe that the ability to achieve is always in their reach if they work hard enough.

I became interested in Dweck’s research on motivation and mindset as I explored research on how children learn. I quickly realized how this applied to adults. According to Dweck, individuals with a fixed mindset believe in innate characteristics such as talent or intelligence. Individuals who embrace a growth mindset believe that purposeful effort can improve their skills. A fixed mindset says, “I’m not a math person.” A growth mindset says, “I haven’t tried very hard to learn calculus.”

It’s important what we say to children. If we praise abilities (talent, intelligence), we unintentionally encourage passivity in the face of harder challenges. If we praise effort and a work ethic, we provide encouragement to try harder. Dweck then describes how praise should be immediate, specific, and focused on behaviors that lead to success.

Link to Mindset Works:

https://www.mindsetworks.com/

Link to TED Talk:

https://www.ted.com/speakers/carol_dweck

Check out this workbook for developing a growth mindset in adults:

Growth Mindset Workbook for Adults: Build Confidence, Overcome Challenges, and Achieve Your Goals: By Michaela Renee Johnson, MA LMFT.