by Paul Ch'ng |
As a corporate trainer, one of the most frequent requests I receive is to help change mindsets of people in organisations. There is good reason for such widespread emphasis on mindsets. How we think about ourselves (and others) influences our behaviours, the choices we make and the actions we take.
Two mindsets that profoundly affect the way we lead our lives and can determine whether we accomplish the things we value are the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.
Let’s start with the former. People with fixed mindsets believe that their qualities – intelligence, personality and abilities - are carved in stone. They feel the need to prove themselves and have a fear of falling short. Every situation is evaluated – Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb? Will I be accepted or rejected? Will I feel like a winner or loser?
Some with fixed mindsets don’t try for fear of failing; others give up quickly when faced with challenges. Some who adopt this mindset do not believe in putting in the effort or getting help because they are convinced that nothing would change. From a fixed mindset perspective, taking risks or putting in effort might reveal one’s inadequacies or show that one is not up to the task.
On the other hand, people with growth mindsets believe that the qualities they possess can be cultivated and developed further. Those with a growth mindset believe their true potential is unknown, and that effort, learning and stretching of boundaries will help them reach new heights. They spend time getting better, instead of proving themselves to others; look for friends who will challenge them to grow, instead of those who merely prop up their self-esteem; and overcome their weaknesses instead of hiding them. They also venture into the unknown instead of staying in the comfort zone.
These are the traits of many who have achieved success, not by talent alone, but by having a belief that they could be more. Walt Disney was fired early in his career for not being creative enough. Steve Jobs was dismissed from the company he started. Jack Ma was rejected by Harvard ten times. It’s what they did with those ‘failures’ that defined their subsequent achievements.
What does this have to do with children? A lot.
The growth mindset and fixed mindset were first observed and defined by Prof. Carol Dweck, currently of Stanford University, when working with children. As she observed how children behaved when working on difficult puzzles, she came across something unexpected.
While some children coped with failure and others didn’t cope as well, there were a handful of children who loved failure! These children were not discouraged but were pleased to have failed because it presented them an opportunity to learn something new. They didn’t see themselves failing. They saw themselves learning. They were becoming smarter.
Asking herself “Is loving failure even possible?”, Dweck realised that she had a fixed mindset stemming from her time in school, how she was taught, treated and rewarded. This marked the beginning of research into growth and fixed mindsets and how they impact children, youth and adults alike. In the following articles of this 3-part series, we will assess which of the two mindsets we as parents and educators are instilling, and how we can start inculcating a growth mindset in our children.