In Professor Carol Dweck’s ‘Power of Yet’ TED talk, she explores the power of having a growth mindset.
Professor Carol Dweck examined the behaviour and mindsets of children and noted various reactions that they had when faced with a challenge.
She noticed that many did not see their potential to improve and dwelled on the ‘now’, catastrophising their inability to solve the problem because they were simply ‘not good enough’.
Dweck called this the ‘Tyranny of now’ and those with this mindset displayed the following ‘solutions’ when faced with a challenge:
- CHEAT the next time
- Find someone worse than them so that they feel better about themselves
- Run from difficulties
Dweck backed up her observations with proven scientific evidence, comparing the brain activity of a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Those with a growth mindset experienced constant improvement in their capacity to think and solve problems whereas those with a fixed mindset experienced lesser brain activity in these areas. In other words, we can indeed become smarter as long as we adopt a growth mindset.
So, how can we foster a culture of ‘YET’ in our daily lives and at our workplace?
How can we be open to, and remind ourselves and others that ‘we are only not good enough, YET?’
To encourage consistent improvement, praises must be given wisely to encourage people to become better. Praise should be given at the process stage, praising people for their efforts and perseverance instead of focusing only on the end result. This fosters a culture of growth and encourages constant improvement.
In sum, Professor Carol Dweck emphasises on the importance of adopting a mindset that seeks constant growth and only then, will we be able to become a better version of ourselves.
Click here to learn more about growth mindset intervention for teams.
