Change Your Mindset, Change Your Organization

Did you know that a little change in mindset could be a major jump towards improving organizational success?

Staff mindset plays a huge role in organizational performance. It influences everything – how they approach tasks, how they look at obstacles, and how they reach for your goals (or don’t). It all boils down to whether they have a fixed or a growth mindset.

We all fall somewhere on a spectrum between the two. Nobody perfectly embodies a growth state of mind – but nobody’s always fixed, either. In our book MAKiN’ iT, we use a Success Scale from one to six to help people figure out where they fall on the spectrum, and develop strategies to move further into a growth mindset. If you find your staff or colleagues trapped in a fixed mindset more often than not, they're probably feeling stuck, like they have exhausted ways to reach and engage youth. People in a fixed mindset give up as soon as an obstacle greets them. Each criticism – even a constructive one – becomes a personal attack. They’re constantly needing to prove themselves to others. People with a fixed mindset often say things like...

• Kids don't want to learn..

• I’ll never connect.

• There’s no way that I’ll be able to get the class to learn.

• I just don’t feel like trying..

• I’m not good enough.

If this sounds like someone you know, maybe it’s time to cultivate a growth mindset. Once staff commit to begin more open, program performance begins to change. They learn more, they reach for opportunities. They try earnestly to make positive changes in others' lives – and because they're open to the process, it works.

With a growth mindset, staff look at the success of others as a source of inspiration. Criticism becomes an opportunity. And all those obstacles and challenges are suddenly a source for improvement and a chance to learn. With a growth mindset, staff realize that it’s not about proving themselves to others, but improving themselves.

People with fixed mindsets are convinced there’s no way out, but a growth mindset gives them the chance to succeed and takes them away from worrying about what others think. So if you’re ready for change to start today, here are a few strategies from the experts to help you get your team on a growth mindset: