Like any psychological concept that booms in popularity, growth mindset — the dual belief that skills and abilities can be improved, and that developing your skills and abilities is the purpose of the work you do — is ripe for misinterpretation.
5 Mistakes Companies Make About Growth Mindsets
Like any psychological concept that booms in popularity, growth mindset — the dual belief that skills and abilities can be improved, and that developing your skills and abilities is the purpose of the work you do — is ripe for misinterpretation. Interviews with HR leaders at 20 organizations reveal some common misunderstandings. Some assumed growth mindset meant striving for business growth; others that businesses, rather than individual people, can have a growth mindset. Three other common myths: that personal growth is unlimited (e.g., anyone can become an opera singer if they just have the right mindset), that growth mindset is a binary (something you either have or don’t), and that having a growth mindset is the same as having a positive attitude. Misconceptions like these mean that companies are missing out on a valuable lens for helping people learn and become more resilient.