Learning
When people face the same challenges and have equal opportunities, some people still set themselves apart; learning new skills, growing in experience, getting better at their job and experiencing a tremendous career growth. Why is this so?
It all starts with the mindset.
Carol Dweck, a leading professor of Psychology at Stanford university reveals in her best-selling book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success writes of the two type of mindsets. These are the Fixed Mindset and the Growth Mindset.
A CASE-STUDY
Jared, John and Susan, all new project managers at a consulting firm have been sent as delegates to a Project Management conference. The lead speaker had done a great job sharing new trends in project manager and her experience successfully delivering complex projects. They all admire the presentation of this lead speaker.
But John says to himself, “it takes coming from privilege and an ivy league education to achieve that feat”. End of discussion. Nothing changes. For Jared, “It’s truly a nice presentation but there’s nothing special in what she has done. She’s just lucky.” That’s the Fixed Mindset at work in both Jared and John.
THE GROWTH MINDSET AT WORK
Susan with the Growth Mindset sees things differently. She asks herself, “what do I need to do to be able to perform at that level?” She looks at her potentials, not her past. Her advantages, not her disadvantages. She goes further to check the LinkedIN profile of the Lead speaker to know more about his education and experience. She goes further to do something about it. This could be as simple as reading more articles on the subject or as extensive as taking a course on it. More importantly, she applies what she’s learning in her profession.
RESULT OF A GROWTH MINDSET
The decisions taken by John and Susan may not make much difference now. But 2-3 years down the line, or maybe even earlier, the difference is clear. Susan grows professionally, John remains the same. Susan begins to contribute more at work, having more reasons to be better rewarded. Susan stays relevant being more qualified for the opportunities accessible to them. It all beginning with their mindset.
SELF EVALUATION
Being true to yourself, do you believe you can get better at what you currently do? Learn a new skill? Be doing far better than you are today in coming years? Is there a believe and desire within you that you can get better than you are now? Your answer will determine which of the mindsets you possess.
Irrespective of your answer, it is possible for anyone to achieve a Growth Mindset. This mindset is driven by curiosity which makes them always ask why, who, when, where, what and ultimately how. This curiosity searches for answers which translates into building a body of knowledge and skillsets that positively impacts their professional growth. A curiosity that can be only satisfied by Continual Learning.
Building on your growth mindset, Cedarview Aspire will bring you daily insights to engage and equip you for your personal and professional growth. It starts this week with a focus on Continual Learning strategies. Bringing to you case studies and lessons on how to learn continually as a professional. We hope it does you a lot of help.
Todo: Identify something you want to get better at. Google and read 3 or more articles on it. Go further to explore the books and courses on it. Afterwards, you will realize how more knowledgeable you are on it.
Best wishes for a productive day.