Conversations are the social glue that holds a culture together. And yet…
research has revealed that 9 out of 10 conversations miss the mark. Results from Stanford University & Creating WE Institute show the main reason for conversations missing the mark is low levels of connection.
Low levels of connection lead to lost sales, lost customers, failed projects, re-works, poor productivity, workplace tension, conflict and lower employee engagement.
How then do you achieve higher levels of connection and success?
Carol Dweck, Professor of Pyschology at Stanford University and author of the global bestseller, Mindset – The New Psychology of Success, has spent her career studying failure and how people react to failure. She says there are two mindsets that determine our level of success:
FIXED MINDSET OR GROWTH MINDSET?
“... when fixed mindset people fail, they tend to tell themselves they can’t or won’t be able to do it, or make excuses to rationalise the failure.
With a growth mindset … people believe their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work – brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”
- Dweck says that people who have a Fixed mindset, focus on the things they can do.
- On the other hand, people with a Growth mindset recognise that struggles can be overcome with ‘effort, strategy and good instruction.’ They view challenges as an opportunity to deepen their talents and expand themselves.
It’s the same with conversations …
FIXED CONVERSATIONS VS GROWTH CONVERSATIONS?
- Is yours a Fixed conversation workplace or a Growth conversation workplace?
- Are people judging or appreciating each other?
- Do people defend their mistakes / results or see them as learning opportunities?
- Is feedback something that you resist, disagree with, confirms what you already know, or is it a profitable and empowering opportunity for all parties?
Dweck’s Fixed and Growth mindsets are inextricably linked with Fixed and Growth conversations.
- Maintaining the status quo, resisting change and fostering groupthink are all connected with Fixed conversations. Nothing changes.
- Positional Persuaders and Agile Co-creators focus on Growth conversations. Agile Co-creators trigger the tools to move the ball forward. This is where the heart of innovation happens. This level of influence is transformational and shapes the foundation of a high growth culture.
Words create worlds and every conversation is a chance for a culture to remain fixed or grow.
