Growth Mindset: A Powerful Tool for Professional Development
I read an article related to my work every morning to support my professional development. This morning, I learned about the growth mindset theory, which Microsoft has implemented into its performance management system. Apparently, Microsoft has been using this theory for many years.
The premise of the theory is that an individual who firmly believes that he or she can learn and grow continuously is more agile and persistent in achieving success. The growth mindset is even more powerful when it is used as a philosophy in a group context.
Goals are consciously set and challenges constructively addressed; failure is seen as a necessary element of growth. Regular feedback mechanisms are put in place to reflect on both challenges and failures. To adopt a growth mindset, you need to be flexible and willing to step outside of your comfort zone to explore new work approaches and areas of growth.
By fostering an open mindset to learn new concepts and approaches that can improve a situation or a workout, innovation becomes an integral part of performance. In this scenario, you reshape your own work and outputs to contribute more value to the team effort.
When you embrace the growth mindset theory, you are in the process of redefining your own job and the work you do. It is key to communicate the reason and value contribution of the changes you are making. You should then explain the changes to your fellow workers so that it’s a collaborative effort and not just an individual one. For success, the individual must have the courage to acknowledge mistakes, and the group must have the maturity to support the individual in recovering from those mistakes.
Intuitively, the theory resonates well with me, and I aim to learn more about it and put the theory into practice for myself and my team. This theory underlines that our potential is more than our current status of being. There is an abundance of opportunities to improve and always the possibility to reinvent ourselves.
© Jurgens Pieterse, 2023, All rights reserved.
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