The topic of mindset comes up again and again in innovation work. And that’s a good thing! In my opinion, working on the mindset is the beginning of all innovation work. It is the foundation of every project. Personally, I would go so far as to say that no matter how well planned an innovation project is, it will fail if the mindset is not right.
And because I believe this is so important, I have already described in this article what I believe constitutes an innovative mindset.
Knowing what constitutes an innovative mindset and how to recognize one in yourself and others is, of course, only half the battle. What do you do when you realize that you are not even there? How do you get there? But let’s start from the beginning.
When I started to look into the subject, I realized that there is a wide spectrum of mindsets, but the best known are the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.
People with a fixed mindset tend to see their skills and talents as innate and unchanging. In contrast, people with a growth mindset see skills as changeable and are convinced that they can grow and develop with effort and perseverance.
Delving deeper into this distinction quickly leads to the realization that a growth mindset is the way to go. You get the impression that it is not only fundamental in innovation work, but also the guarantee for a fulfilled life.
So the question arises: Can the mindset be changed from a fixed to a growth mindset? Absolutely!
Transforming your own mindset is not as difficult as you might think. There are numerous sites on the internet that provide you with lots of tips and tricks on how to do this. What has bothered me about these tips so far, however, is how vague they are. They often say that you should take on new challenges or make more conscious decisions. Wouldn’t a step-by-step program be much more helpful?
Based on my own experience, I have therefore developed a handy 4-phase framework that contains specific tools that you can use to change your mindset step by step towards a growth mindset. In this article, I would like to explain this framework in more detail.
Phase 1 – Reflect: Recognize your fixed mindset
The first phase, “Reflect”, deals with recognizing a fixed mindset. You can recognize whether you yourself are in a fixed mindset by looking at various situations from your daily life. For example, think of situations at work where you were afraid to take on a new task for fear of failure. Or perhaps you missed out on a promotion because you thought you simply weren’t born with the necessary skills. These are clear signs of a fixed mindset. At the same time, think about how this mindset affects your everyday (professional) life. How do you react to challenges and what does this do to you? How much does your fear of failure hold you back? Does it make you feel like you’re treading water? These feelings are also signs of a fixed mindset.
To make it easier to reflect on yourself, it can help to perceive your own space between stimulus and reaction. If you are confronted with a crucial question or situation, as described above, do not react immediately, but first perceive the situation and try to think about it. For major decisions, ask the other person for some time to think about it.
It is also helpful to write down the situations you perceive. After a day at work, take 5 minutes to reflect on your day. Briefly and succinctly write down prominent situations from your day and think about how you reacted and how you felt. This will make you much more sensitive to future situations of this kind.
Reflecting on your own thoughts and actions is the first and most important step. As soon as you are able to reflect on your way of thinking and your way of acting, you have laid the foundation for change, which is fundamental to your transformation. A growth mindset also means regularly questioning and reflecting on yourself: What are my next goals? What is going well, what is not going so well? Which skills do I want to develop in order to achieve my goals?
Phase 2 – Reframe: Reassess situations
The “Reframe” phase prompts you to reassess your personal challenges. These can be of a personal or professional nature. A classic example is making mistakes. How do you deal with it when you realize you have actually done something wrong? Instead of criticizing yourself (why was I so stupid, how could this have happened to me) and blaming it on unchangeable factors (I didn’t have enough time, my colleague didn’t give me enough information), accept the mistake as having happened and think about how you can prevent it in the future.
A mistake can also reveal personal potential. For example, if you lose your audience during a presentation or constantly misspeak due to excitement, don’t see this as a personal failure, but as an opportunity to improve your presentation skills.
Re-evaluating such situations allows you to learn from your mistakes and see them as opportunities for growth.
In addition to re-evaluation, acceptance plays a major role. Situations in which you make mistakes or in which you simply don’t feel comfortable will be with you for the rest of your life. The key lies in accepting such situations and evaluating them positively.
The reframe process can be unsettling as you begin to question your learned behavior, but it is an essential step on the path to a growth mindset.
Phase 3 – Relearn: Actively do things differently
The third step, the “Relearn” phase, consists of putting your newly defined beliefs into practice. In this phase, you should actively challenge yourself to learn new skills, take risks and move away from your comfort zone.
In this phase, it is primarily about the new experience itself, less about the new content. In most cases, our brain has simply forgotten over time what it means to learn something completely new because it has become accustomed to life working quite well as it is. At some point, it was no longer necessary to expend extra energy on new things. We have to practise “learning something new” again. And the best way to do this is to “just do it”, ideally in something you are fundamentally interested in (this provides the necessary motivation).
Let’s say you’re interested in the Scandinavian countries. How about simply starting to learn Norwegian, for example? Download a suitable app and off you go! Now your head may tell you “I’ve never been good at languages”. But that’s exactly the point: In the relearn phase, you actively try to overcome this belief. You could look for an opportunity to talk to other people who already know Norwegian, hire a tutor or use online learning resources. It’s not about being perfect straight away. This process focuses on how you acquire new skills and rethink your attitude towards them.
Consistency and realistic effort play a major role in this phase. It’s better to work on your new project for an hour once a week than to try to spend two hours every evening. Any kind of change takes time and you first have to get used to moving into unfamiliar territory.
Phase 4 – Regain: Gain control
The final phase, “Regain”, reflects the transformation you have undergone, it is the phase of newly gained control.
Once you have learned to actively reflect on your actions in situations, re-evaluate them and consciously engage with new things, you will one day realize that you intuitively act differently in your everyday life. You will have learned to see challenges as opportunities for growth and actively strive to improve. Instead of being discouraged by mistakes, you use them as a springboard for your development. If you realize this about yourself, then you have reached the final phase of “regain”.
In this phase, you begin to realize that, even in your job, you do not react to challenges and obstacles with frustration or resignation, but with determination and a willingness to learn. You feel empowered to tackle new tasks and see yourself as a person who is constantly growing and learning. Your new growth mindset therefore enables you to actively take control of your life and not accept things as a given.
From fixed to growth mindset – a long process
Transforming from a fixed to a growth mindset is not an easy task and does not just happen overnight. It is a continuous, conscious process that requires time and effort. The journey of your own transformation is also a very individual one. Some people may find it easier to reflect on situations, others may simply find it difficult. It is important to trust your own path and your own speed and to keep at it.
Because the rewards for all your efforts are great: greater flexibility, improved problem-solving skills and ultimately a more fulfilling (professional) life in which you can rise to any kind of challenge and possibly surpass yourself.
The question is, are you ready to take the first step?
