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Are you feeling stuck in your career? Perhaps you’ve faced a setback - redundancy or a failed attempt at promotion. Maybe you’re just feeling overlooked and invisible, or you’ve reached an age where you think you are destined to be stuck in a rut in your career.
One of the most inspiring moments of the last few months was when I attended a course. A fellow participant, a woman in her mid-fifties, was explaining how she was looking for new career opportunities in her organisation and wanted to prepare herself to be put forward for promotion. She was a living example of a Growth Mindset in action.
Much has been written about growth mindset, a term coined by Carol Dweck in her 2006 book and based on research she undertook with students in the US. But what is a growth mindset, and how does it actually help you move forward in your career?
According to Dweck, having a growth mindset means believing that intellect and skills can develop, no matter your age or background or previous level of achievement. Therefore, you believe that you are more in control of your destiny and that things can change for the better. I recently read a similar statement in Marshall Goldmsmith’s recent book “The Earned Life” - that the person we are today is not the same person as we were yesterday or that we will be tomorrow - we all have the capacity to grow and change.
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How does having this mindset help with moving your career forward?
Embracing challenges: With a growth mindset, you see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles to overcome. This can help you confidently take on new challenges and learn from any setbacks along the way.
Seeking feedback: A growth mindset encourages you to seek feedback from others and use it to improve your performance. This can help you identify areas where you can improve and take steps to develop your skills and knowledge.
Embracing learning: With a growth mindset, you understand that learning is a continuous process and that there is always room for growth and improvement. You are more likely to seek opportunities for learning and development, whether that's taking courses or learning through new experiences on the job.
Taking risks: A growth mindset can help you feel more comfortable taking calculated risks in your career. You understand that failure is a natural part of the learning process and that taking risks can lead to new opportunities and experiences.
Being resilient: With a growth mindset, you are more likely to bounce back from setbacks and failures. You understand that setbacks are not indicative of your abilities, and you can use them as learning experiences to help you grow and improve.
Each of us has a different propensity to drift towards either a fixed or a growth mindset based on our genes and upbringing, but we all have the ability to choose to have one or the other. To cultivate more of a growth mindset, you can:
Develop curiosity by asking questions and putting yourself in new situations, helping you grow your desire to learn.
Seek out and embrace challenges. As well as giving us opportunities to learn and improve, the more we seek out challenges, the more we see them as learning opportunities rather than insurmountable hurdles.
See mistakes as positives. Failing at something, or making errors in our work, allows us to see where we can still learn and grow.
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Cultivating a growth mindset is an ongoing process that takes time and effort to develop. But with dedication and persistence and believing in your ability to change, you can get unstuck, work out what’s holding you back and drive your career forward with intent.
If you want to see how coaching can help you develop a growth mindset and keep you accountable, then get in touch, I’d love to help.