One of the terms that has gained more notoriety in recent years is mindset . Although much is said about it, not everyone understands its real definition and the impact that mindset at work can have on professional life, especially for people who value their own development.
For corporations and management, working on mindset has become an opportunity to improve results, innovate in healthcare and provide differentiated experiences for their employees in a strategic way.
Proactivity is one of the aspects that can be developed from the mindset. Learn how to apply it in the organizational sphere. Enjoy reading !
What is mindset at work?
One of the greatest experts on the subject, Carol S. Dweck, author of the book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”, associates the term with success and how it can be decisive in achieving it. In her work, she explains that being successful does not necessarily depend on a special skill or talent. It is the mindset that the individual has, that is, their way of looking at life and circumstances that can make the difference.
In practice, it is the set of beliefs, ideas and values that are part of someone’s mind. In turn, this combination — which is built throughout life — is what prepares you to deal with adverse situations. And, according to Dweck, what can drive whether you will be successful in them or not.
Therefore, the mindset at work can be defined as a mental model prepared and motivated for professional development.
What are the types of mindset at work and how do they work?
While studying, the psychologist identified that there are two different types of mindset : a fixed one and a progressive one (or growth), as well as the behavior of those who develop each of them. Understand below.
Fixed mindset
This mentality belongs to people who believe that their condition is permanent. In a practical example, if you were not born disciplined, this characteristic cannot be encouraged or developed. Your ideas, beliefs, and attitudes are immutable and there is nothing that can be done about it.
Naturally, individuals with this mental programming have more difficulty growing in their personal and professional lives. They are insecure and feel incapable of improving themselves — so they may not even risk doing so. In the professional sphere, specifically, this is a destructive behavior that companies avoid.
Growth (or progressive) mindset
People with this mindset are the opposite of what was mentioned above. They recognize their limitations, but are willing to work around them in order to grow. To do this, they develop more patience and dedication. They are the ones who turn lemons into lemonade, identifying opportunities where others would only see a problem.
In the case of mindset at work, this is exactly what companies expect. The leaders of the future have this characteristic and one of their challenges is to adapt it to the organizational climate of the place where they work. These are professionals who are always looking to improve, explore their potential and contribute positively to results.
Why is it important to talk about mindset at work?
A growth mindset spread across a company’s teams can make a big difference in its results and even impact well-being at work . Improving this culture is the right way to promote greater productivity, ensure a better quality of life for people and become a reference in the market.
In this mission, managers have a fundamental role: they need to study their subordinates to know what their mentality is. Based on this analysis, it would be possible to start working with the groups, proposing activities that would develop them according to their level.
In addition to professional development, a company that cares about mindset at work demonstrates concern for employees’ mental health , making them better human beings and more capable of dealing with problems in their personal lives, preventing occupational illnesses.
The need to discuss this topic becomes more evident when we realize that it is not a reality for most professionals. We need to help them awaken their desire for self-knowledge and growth — and if this interest already exists, stimulate it, so that both can reap the rewards in the medium and long term.
What can you do to develop your mindset at work?
If a company can provide a differentiated experience, in addition to the corporate benefits, it should strive to do so and thus create a standard that benefits its organizational culture. The first step is to draw employees’ attention to this need.
Recognition of the importance of mindset
Developing a progressive mindset has proven to be positive for personal development. The process of change is not easy, but the focus should be on its results. It is essential to provide tools that enable this self-knowledge so that, from there, the desire for growth and strengthening of the mindset at work is strengthened. The Human Resources team can support this with coaching techniques .
Open dialogue about challenges — and how to solve them
Many times, hours of meetings are wasted talking about corporate problems. A growth mindset also involves focusing on solutions: training the mind to identify opportunities in challenges — and use them to the company’s advantage. Talking about problems and their causes is very important, especially if the intention is to not repeat them. But just as important is directing efforts to solve them.
Encouragement to protagonism
If a company hopes to grow, it must encourage its employees to take the lead and give them plenty of space to express their ideas. These ideas may not always be compatible with what the company wants, but it is up to the company to deal with this in a transparent and empathetic manner, showing respect for its employees and valuing what they think.
Encouraging innovation
Constant evolution is a challenge for all companies, but one of the pieces of this puzzle is in the previous topic: giving people the opportunity to be creative and express their ideas. This is an essential measure for anyone who wants to promote innovation in a company. It is through brainstorming that great projects are born.
Finally, organizational change does not happen without a change in mindset . There can only be a significant improvement in corporate reality if the people who are part of the culture work together and with the same purpose to achieve it.