The chaos of the pandemic saw us talking about _disruption, survival_ , and the _Great Resignation_. In 2023, the buzzwords will be _growth mindset_ and _rethinking_. Full of hope, **growth mindset** and **rethinking** see us becoming more thoughtful, seeing every team member as capable of learning, and every leader open to changing their mind.

_Understanding involves both learning new knowledge and discarding obsolete and misleading knowledge._  Bo Hedberg

Developing a growth mindset and rethinking skills are two exciting ways to face challenges in an uncertain future.

Lets explain what we mean by these terms, why they are the right skills for now, and how you can get more of both in yourself and your team.

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Put simply, growth mindset harnesses the power of the word _yet._  A high school which gives students a _not yet_ grade instead of a _fail_  is teaching them to push on, not give up. Stanford University professor and originator of the growth mindset concept **Carol Dweck** says _not yet_ means youre on a learning curve.

_It gives you a path into the future._

In her TEDx talk on growth mindset Carol says that some people say, I love a challenge and understand their abilities can be developed. Others believe their intelligence is up for judgement and run from difficulty.

Growth mindset people engage deeply with problems, they process errors and learn from them.

Carol's tips to encourage a growth mindset:

- **We can praise wisely**. Praise the process that people engage in, their perseverance, their focus, their improvement.

- **Reward** for effort, process, and perseverance.

- **Use the words yet** or not yet to give people a path into the future.

- **Reframe their struggle.** Being out of our comfort zone forces neurons in our brains to form new stronger connections  making us smarter over time.

What Do We Mean by Growth Mindset?

As weve just learned, a **growth mindset** is believing you or those around you have potential for improvement. Leaders promoting a growth mindset look for which of the [**6 types of working genius**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/6typesofworkinggenius) apply to each team member, and coach them on the areas they find difficult or frustrating.

In [**our Global Headline event**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/LizWisemanImpactPlayers) **** with Liz Wiseman, the author of _Impact Players_ said "The Great Resignation" may be partly down to employees not being challenged. Performance expert Steven Kotler agrees, he says a flow state almost always contains a **struggle phase**.

A **fixed mindset** is the opposite. Its the limiting belief that you or those around you have a fixed ability $ _I cant do it, theyll never get good at this_ $.

Instead of embracing challenge, those with a fixed mindset **will feel incompetent**. Leaders with a fixed mindset who hire staff who disappoint them will blame the recruiting process.

They wont see that their black and white approach to weakness and failure is the problem, rather they will be fixed in their opinions, **self-critical** or **critical of others.**

Which brings us to the terms _unlearning_ and _rethinking._ 

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

_Rethinking isnt just disagreeing with others; its learning to disagree with ourselves. _ Adam Grant

Adam Grant, author of _Think Again_ and _Originals_ , told our 2022 masterclass that [**rethinking is thinking like a scientist**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/adamgrantleadershipskills). It means being actively open-minded. It requires searching for reasons why we might be wrong.

People who practise rethinking:

- Are constantly aware of the limits of their understanding.

- Doubt what they know.

- Are curious about what they dont know.

- Update their views based on new data.

Given what weve said about the **danger** of being fixed about peoples capabilities, it is vital business leaders learn rethinking skills. Both rethinking and growth mindset are essential tools for managing change and transformation.

Transformation expert Mark Bonchek says humans can cope with an incredible pace of change but only when we look back. When **planning for the future** , he says, its about setting a direction without certainty on how youre going to get there.

_Like sailing, know where you want to go but, as you dont know the wind youll face, be prepared to tack._

Rethinking and Growth Mindset in the Modern Workplace

Be actively open-minded says Adam Grant.

- He says it starts with **intellectual humility**  knowing what we dont know. $Note: He says imposter syndrome might actually be beneficial, as confidence may make us complacent.$

- Then, its about **detachment,** separating your opinions from your identity, and your past self from your current self.

- Finally, its learning to be okay with **conflict.** Its surrounding yourself with boat-rockers, not bootlickers.

With all this in mind, lets look at practical ways to bring a growth mindset into the workplace.

What Can Leaders Do To Implement a Growth Mindset?

A [TalentLMS and SHRM study](https://www.talentlms.com/employee-learning-and-development-stats) shows 76% of employees agree that they are more likely to stay with a company that offers continuous training.

Training doesnt have to stuffy, it can be [**active learning**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/activelearning) or [**interactive learning**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/whatisinteractivelearning). It can be giving team members time to work on improving specific skills or **tackling stickier problems** and challenges.

Jonah Sachs, author of _Unsafe Thinking_ , [**told us in our interview**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/UnsafeThinkingcreativityJonahSachs) that forcing ourselves out of autopilot and back into a cognitive state will rapidly tune our skills up.

_As we achieve more, more complex challenges will come our way, and that means we must inevitably, at times, pause and get back into a learning mode._

- Make it safe to make mistakes at work

- Use one-on-ones and give feedback in ways that encourage learning

Foster Learning Opportunities

Learning and Development $L&D$ is proven to be one of at least [**nine effective staff retention strategies.**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/staffretentionstrategies) ****

L&D budgets have increased since the pandemic outbreak for 57% of organisations. And no surprise that since COVID-19 hit the business world, 79% of L&D managers expect to spend more on online learning $LinkedIn$.

To increase a growth mindset, [**leadership development**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/leadershipdevelopment) is especially important.

_Just as a sports academy unlocks the full potential of its athletes to create champions, a leadership development program unlocks leadership potential in your team._

- Have leaders set a learning example by getting leadership development

- Invest in online learning $e.g. [**Growth Faculty passes**](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/leadershippass/) for team members$

Invest in Learning and Development

A growth mindset responds to a human touch. The brain normally takes in **nine negative** pieces of information to every one positive so use a radical candour approach.

[ **Our masterclass with Amy Sandler**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/radicalcandorgivingfeedback) , Radical Candor chief content officer and coach, learned that radical candour is like telling someone quickly and discreetly they have spinach in their teeth.

_If you have spinach in your teeth, you want to know. After all, youre the only person who can do something about it._

Radical candor is feedback that is caring and aiming to inspire. Its anchored in things that matter to the receiver.

The motto is: **_Care Personally/Challenge Directly._**

- Have leaders show vulnerability and ask for feedback

- See feedback as positive $ _I want to be the type of person who helps my team grow.$_

Make Feedback More Effective

Charlene Li says when someone brings a problem to you, dont just jump into problem-solving mode $thats a [**diminishing leadership trait**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/multipliersanddiminishers) , by the way$.

Instead ask What do you think you should do to solve this problem? or What steps do you recommend? By doing this, youre giving people the confidence to persist. Youll remember that is a growth mindset in action.

You can also:

What Can Individuals Do to Rethink With a Growth Mindset?

Heres an inspiring quote from Samuel Smiless book _Self-Help_ :

_Failure is the best discipline of the true worker, by stimulating him to renewed efforts, evoking her best powers, and carrying him onward in self-culture, self-control and growth in knowledge and wisdom._

Learning from failure requires a blameless post-mortem. Energy is focused not on who to blame but what everyone can learn and apply in the future.

Embrace Failure

Happy workers are 13% more productive, according to a recent Oxford University study. It makes perfect sense that you are more contented doing tasks that bring you joy and energy.

On this performance high, we see a lift in motivation, learning, and creativity. Importantly, says [**Steven Kotler**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/workinflow) , our **inner critic** gets quiet so we feel freer to be creative, take risks, and innovate.

Do Work That Inspires You

Barry OReilly, author of _Unlearn_ , [**told our masterclass**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/unlearning) how to put rethinking and the growth mindset into action.

- **Select a challenge** you wish to tackle by owning it. Ask yourself Where am I experiencing a feeling of being stuck?

- **Write a story of success as a press release** for yourself. To get yourself inspired, write your vision into a press release that shows the outcomes a couple of years into the future. Be bold.

- **Create an unlearn statement** :  **I will unlearn** \[this challenge\] **before** \[this constraint\]. **I know I have unlearned when** \[list of outcomes  preferably in terms of rate or ratio  will occur to demonstrate we have addressed the challenge.

Practice Putting A Growth Mindset into Action

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