DEVELOPMENT w You see challenges as insurmountable and tend not to step outside your comfort zone .
How to nurture a growth mindset of change for yourself and others
There is a lot of talk in the business world at the moment about adopting a growth mindset and rightly so , because it ’ s a growth mindset that helps us grow as individuals . It ’ s where we see our skills , talents , and abilities – not as things that are fixed , but as things we can expand upon . It helps us see challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities . And helps us see change not as something to push against , but as something to embrace . So , Nigel Collin asks , as a busy EA , how can you nurture your own mindset and help those around you – your exec , for example – adopt a healthy growth mindset as well ?
THE EXPERT
Nigel Collin is a change and leadership expert helping people and organisations make change happen through small consistent steps . He is author of ‘ Game of Inches ’, an Internationally recognised keynote speaker and executive coach .
Back in 2007 Carol Dweck , a Stanford University psychologist wrote a book called Mindset and sparked a revolution in how we think about and nurture the right mindset ; the premise being that we all adopt one of two types of mindsets – either fixed or growth .
If you adopt a fixed mindset : w You tend to believe your skills , talents and abilities are fixed ; you ’ re born with a certain level of smarts w You tend to see things as very black-and-white and focus on outcomes where you either win or you lose w You nail your to do list or you don ’ t and that ’ s where it ends
If you adopt a growth mindset : w You believe your skill , talents and abilities can be expanded upon , and you can learn new things and continually grow w You focus on progress and effort . If you don ’ t complete your to do list you ask what got in the way , what can you delegate , what can you change and what can you learn w You see challenges as opportunities w You tend to be curious and hanker to learn new things .
Now , here ’ s the thing : Dweck suggests you ’ re not born with one or the other – instead , you tend to adopt either a fixed or growth mindset – nor are you ever totally one or the other . She adds that once you understand the difference , you tend to gravitate towards growth .
How do you help those around you nurture a growth mindset ? From my experience , there are three really simple things you can do : w Nurture your own growth mindset . The best way is to go directly to the source and grab a copy ( or dust off your old one ) of Mindset . ( I think this should be compulsory on any EA ’ s bookshelf ). w Understand that shifting their thinking and adopting a growth mindset isn ’ t a once-off project . It ’ s not a matter of just doing a short course ; it ’ s a continual process . And like anything , it ’ s the little things that make the biggest difference . That takes the overwhelm away and makes shifting mindset accessible to everyone . w Let ’ s watch our language . Not just our selftalk but how we talk to others . For example , say “ yes ” instead of “ yes ” but …’ For example , rather than saying : “ Yes but that ’ ll never work ” try “ Yes , tell me a little bit more about your thought process ”. Also , try adding other words like “ yet ” or “ not yet ” to the end of a sentence – how about saying “ I didn ’ t get everything done yet ”, instead of “ I didn ’ t get everything done ”? This opens the door to further exploration .
Over the years I ’ ve had the opportunity of interviewing and working with hundreds of successful individuals and leaders … The one thing that stands out ? The importance of nurturing the right mindset . Imagine the impact developing a better mindset , not just in terms of the benefits of performance and productivity but the impact on those around you … S nigelcollin . com . au
Winter Issue 2023 | Executive PA 63