In a fixed mindset, you believe that basic qualities, such as intelligence and talent, are fixed traits and you spend your life proving those traits. In this kind of mindset you believe that talent is what creates success, you set a bar of excellence that you are focused on achieving. You then measure yourself against that bar and are constantly judging how you have fared. You may be prone to holding others to your ‘bar’ as well and being judgmental of others when they (or you) don’t measure up. A fixed mindset is about “PROVING”.
In a growth mindset, you believe that your basic ability can be improved through dedication and hard work, and that talent and brains are merely the starting point. A growth mindset is focused on getting better, on improvement and developing skills so that you perform better than you did before. A setback or failure is seen as an opportunity to grow. A growth mindset is about “IMPROVING”.
The benefits of adopting a growth mindset are expanded creativity, innovation, resiliency, development, and performance as well as aiding in personal well-being, stress-reduction, inner peace, and contentment. In an organization, a growth mindset will help us tap into, capitalize on, and maximize the talents of our members to create a more positive and engaged organization. A growth mindset has a consistent generative focus on developing the skills to make things better.
How could you nurture a growth mindset in your chorus? Send me an email at jan@innercoachofbarbershop.com and I will send you a pdf checklist from my book, THE OVERTONE EFFECT, that shows you how you can foster a growth mindset in your chorus.
