Growth Mindset (Managers)

Strategies for managers

• Focus feedback on the process, not the person. It might feel good to tell an employee, “You’re so talented at X.” And they might feel good hearing this, at least in the moment. But when they face a setback later, they might conclude, “If my past success made me talented, does my current struggle mean I lack ability?” If you focus on the process, you can foster a growth mindset.
• Reward people when they try new things, even when it doesn’t lead to success. In order to innovate, employees need to try new things. Some of those things will lead to success, and some won’t. If employees are only rewarded for outcomes, they’ll continue to take the familiar route, leading to less innovation. Some companies have even created awards for clever risks that didn’t necessarily pan out as hoped.
• Talk openly about mistakes and celebrate what can be learned from them. On growth mindset teams, mistakes are seen as a normal part of the learning process. When mistakes are made, people are not shamed. Mistakes are also not ignored to avoid making people feel bad – this is less of a concern when mistakes aren’t an indication of someone’s ability. Instead, mistakes are discussed openly, and analyzed in order to help individuals, teams, and the organization grow. In turn, this actually leads to fewer mistakes and better team performance. To get people comfortable talking about mistakes, start by talking about your own. Send out an email the next time you make a mistake, describing what it was, why it happened, and what you learned. Or share a mistake in your next team meeting.