How we think about ourselves and our skills can substantially affect how well we do at work and in other parts of life. However, not everyone takes the time to reflect on their own thought processes and may make inaccurate judgments about their abilities. In this article, we'll look at what a growth mindset is, how it differs from a fixed mentality, and what you can do to foster its development in yourself as an HSE professional. We'll walk you through real-world scenarios and recommend some free online courses to help you learn and grow.
What is a growth mindset?
A mindset is the collection of beliefs people hold about themselves; their self-perception. A growth mindset is a belief that you can improve your abilities and skills with persistence, the appropriate approaches, and support from others.
American psychologist Professor Carol Dweck introduced the phrase growth mindset in her 2006 book "Mindset." Her research examined how confidence in one's own intelligence and learning capacity affects one's actual performance. Those who think they can improve their skills are more successful than those who believe their capabilities are static. Those with a growth mindset choose to push themselves outside their comfort zone to expand their knowledge and skill sets rather than seeing problems as impenetrable roadblocks.
The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. While the growth mindset is focused on self-improvement and development over time, a fixed mindset assumes that abilities are natural and fixed from birth.
Growth mindset examples
To better understand a growth mindset, it’s worth highlighting some examples of the two approaches.
These examples show how people think differently. With a fixed mindset, it's easy to believe that success and failure are due to a person's natural skills. You might try to feel better by doing things you know you can handle.
With a growth mindset, you can see how hard you've worked and try to get better when you have underachieved. You might try to find challenges, especially if they give you a chance to learn something new.
Ten Steps to develop a growth mindset
If you think having a growth mindset is something you want, there are ways to get there. But it's important to remember that Dr. Dweck's research shows that no one has a fixed or a growth mindset all the time. Most people are somewhere in the middle.
In the same way, it's important to remember that not everyone can do everything. Hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude can all help you be successful, but everyone has their own limits. Also, positive results are often caused by things other than a positive attitude.
Having said all that, we've gone over some ways to develop a growth mindset.
1. Identify your own mindset
You can figure out your current mindset by thinking about how you deal with problems at work or school. For instance, you could ask yourself if you say things like, "I'm a people person by nature" or "I've learned to work well with people." Or would you say, "She's a natural leader" or "She worked her way up to the position of leader"?
Asking yourself these questions about how you see the world can help you figure out if you have a fixed or a growth mindset. Awareness of this is the first step to making changes, which could help you rethink your career.
2. Look at your own improvements
Think about something that you’re better at now than you were in the past? Why does it feel easier now? And how did you make such a big difference?
These ideas can make you think about how much time and effort you've put into getting better at certain things, which is a sign of a growth mindset.
3. Review the success of others
Try to think of something you've seen someone do that seemed impossible. Think about how they got to where they are now and what that says about their ability to grow. Think about where you want to get in your HSE career and look for people who are already there.
4. Make mistakes
You will not succeed at everything on your first attempt. Permit yourself to make mistakes and then learn from them. Instead of associating errors with incompetence, view them as part of the learning process. Also, be extremely cautious; as an HSE person, your mistake could be fatal for someone else.
Mistakes provide the opportunity to uncover areas in which you may have a weakness or lack of understanding, which you can then strive to improve.
5. Learn something new
Try something you've never done before and push yourself to learn something you're not already good at. You could start by learning legal compliance techniques, management system implementation techniques, or simply an awareness course like Hydrogen Sulfide awareness.
You can develop a growth mindset and be more open to learning new skills by getting used to leaving your comfort zone.
6. Harness the power of ‘yet.’
Dr. Dweck discussed the concept of 'yet' during a TEDx talk. Essentially, this mindset aspect is about accepting that there will be abilities or subjects in which you are not yet proficient. You may, however, improve in these areas with hard work and determination.
Developing a growth mindset entails accepting that your flaws are actually strengths that you haven't yet developed.
7. Set realistic goals
As we've seen, numerous factors influence success. Personality, intelligence, environment, and other factors can all play a role. You can, however, work toward achievement by defining clear goals that provide a motivating challenge.
8. Look at examples
It can be beneficial to look at people who already have a growth mindset if you are trying to create one. There are opportunities to learn from others through examples from professionals such as Dr. Dweck or by looking at people you already know. Examine what they do and how they address problems, and consider how you can use similar strategies.
9. Seek feedback
Whether you were successful or not with a project, seeking input from others is an excellent method to cultivate a growth mindset. They may provide insight into where you've progressed or what needs to be improved. As a result, you will be able to create goals for improvement.
10. Be kind to yourself
Rather than taunting yourself for your mistakes, consider how you would treat someone else in your situation. If someone fails at a task you know everything about, would you criticize them or encourage them to learn?
Being mindful can improve your communication, relationships, and emotional support. It might also assist you in identifying and avoiding thoughts associated with a fixed mindset.
Final Words
The potential benefits of growth mindsets. When combined with other positive aspects, it appears feasible that such an approach can assist you in learning and developing.
Hopefully, some of the examples and advice we've provided might assist you in determining whether a growth mindset approach is advantageous to your own life. You can focus on your goals and personal growth by challenging yourself and continuing to learn. You can also learn ten simple changes you can make in your everyday life to feel more fulfilled and enhance your personal success by taking this free online course.