Growth Mindset Training

Mindset training helps employees establish a growth mindset to embrace learning experiences and tackle new challenges. When you have team members who are more inclined to a ‘fixed mindset’, it can be harder for them to push through difficulties, take on feedback, and step outside of their comfort zone. A growth mindset culture means teams are more likely to be ‘learners’ and work together to solve problems and achieve goals. The purpose of this workshop is to support employees in developing a growth mindset – so they can take lessons from the learning process and be more invested in their professional development.

Working with organisations across Australia, we know that organisations are facing a number of challenges that a growth mindset would help with. Here are a few of them:

1. Combined professional and personal development: More and more, organisations are working hard to support the ‘whole person’ instead of focussing just on technical skills for employees. Investing in ‘soft skills’, like growth mindset training, means that employees are more likely to have their personal and professional development needs met – improving the overall employee experience. 
2. Complex world of work: Living in a ‘VUCA’ (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) environment means that employees need to be able to cope with a changing environment that presents constant challenges. Employees with a growth mindset, who can flex and adapt in tricky situations, will cope better with uncertainty and dealing with complex problems. 
3. Technology and rise of AI: Advancements in technology and the way we work will automate more manual work, changing job roles and what organisations consider valuable. Employees who can demonstrate skills in growth mindset, critical thinking and problem-solving will become increasingly desirable – as they will help to enable new processes and ways of working. 
4. Flatter hierarchies: More and more, organisations are becoming flatter with employees having more responsibility and autonomy than ever before – especially in hybrid working environments. Team members are expected to take ownership of tasks and be accountable to results. A growth mindset helps employees embrace this increased responsibility and succeed. 
5. Lifelong learning: Professional development is not an event and upskilling is continually required in a world of work that is constantly changing and evolving. There are so many new opportunities for employees to access information and support online, so they can continue to grow competencies and stay current. Growth mindset helps make constant upskilling and reskilling easier.

Overall, connecting employees to a growth mindset journey helps them navigate challenges like these. You can achieve this by offering Growth Mindset Training, coaching sessions, and support from leaders – where they learn the essence of Carol Dweck’s ‘Growth Mindset’ theory and how to connect it to their own mindset.

With the help of Growth Mindset Training, skills that employees can put in place to enhance performance include:

1. Becoming active learners: Active learning is a critical skill for employees in today’s work environment, as they often need to upskill quickly to keep up with current trends and expectations. Employees can develop their active learning skills by keeping an open mind, seeking out new opportunities, and developing a range of learning strategies. 
2. Reframing: When employees learn how to pick themselves up on negativity bias and reframe, they start to see how their mindset works and what they can do to change it. Instead of getting stuck, they properly assess problems or challenges to decide on an action plan. This is growth mindset in action. 
3. Resilience: When employees understand that they each have strengths to offer (and that intelligence isn’t fixed), they can achieve task and project goals more easily. Growth mindset is a practice and is something that is applied to situations in work and life constantly – to improve one’s state of mind. This has powerful effects on team and workplace culture. 
4. Problem-solving: New situations, projects and ever-changing work environments call for constant problem-solving. Team members who actively work to overcome a ‘fixed mindset’, are able to reduce reactivity, stay in the present moment, and step into complex situations with greater ease. 
5. Perspective taking: Conflict can arise when there are different perspectives in the workplace, but employees who keep an open mind are often more capable of flexing with other people’s views. Employees who understand growth mindset can stay present in situations, truly listen to others, and collaborate to achieve better outcomes.

With growth mindset interventions, employees can improve their work experience and better manage complex challenges in the workplace.

What is Growth Mindset Training?

Our Growth Mindset Training workshop is specifically designed for teams to understand the growth mindset definition, skills to bring this theory to life, and practical strategies to overcome fixed mindset behaviours. It aims to provide participants with the tools and resources necessary to understand what growth mindset means and how they will personally embody this and demonstrate it in the workplace. Our experienced facilitators have worked with many teams and teams across Australia and use evidence-based strategies in the workshop based on the work of Carol Dweck and other academics at Stanford University.

Why should my organisation offer Growth Mindset Training?

Being part of Growth Mindset Training can help employees understand themselves and what strengths and intelligence they personally bring to their teams. The workshop experience is designed to help teams implement different techniques to cultivate growth mindset and do the hard work to challenge old behaviours that are holding them back.

Who can attend Growth Mindset Training?

Growth Mindset Training is designed for teams. The skills we focus on help employees build powerful partnerships with each other so they can build a growth mindset culture together. However, this training can be easily customised for emerging leaders, frontline leaders, or middle management as well. A team leader might want to be involved in the session with their team too. A growth mindset culture is very positive for organisations as employees focus more on what they can do (rather than what they can’t do), and it helps people establish constructive, supportive relationships.

Is Growth Mindset Training only available in person?

Growth Mindset Training can be delivered in an in-person, virtual or hybrid format; depending on the organisation’s set-up. It is typically made up of strategies, discussions and a series of activities to support on the job application. The training can be complemented with coaching sessions with a Thinka coach. Coaching plays an important role in challenging old behaviours and building a more open, constructive mindset. Organisations might also opt for an online course or blended program.

Capability Development with Carlisle Homes

1. What was the objective?

Over the course of a 12-month professional development cycle, we worked towards improving the capability of teams using a range of workshops that targeted a specific set of skills. These skills were in line with the business needs and the latest data out of the World Economic Forum’s ‘skills for the future’.

2. How did we do it?

Carlisle Homes’ professional development approach meant employees could opt in or be nominated by their leader to attend workshops. Each workshop focused on core skills like critical thinking, mindset and adapting to change, data-driven decision-making and innovation. The workshop formula was activity-based and used real work case studies to give a reference for applying the learning.

3. How was it integrated and what were the results?

The learning was integrated through the use of post-workshop application tasks. The main impact was seen in the ability of each leader to make more informed decisions by drawing on an improved mindset, adaptive thinking, and skills in data analysis.