Ep 96 The Importance of Growth Mindset at Work

Episode notes:

In today’s podcast I want to talk to you about the concept of Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset, and how what you learned in school growing up does not always serve you in the corporate world.  Here’s is some of what I see in my clients – the need to always have a right or wrong answer, the need to always do it right, the need to get the A, the need to not be wrong, and the need to get the external approval.  But this fixed mindset thinking holds us back from cultivating our qualities, taking on new projects and truly excelling in our lives.  

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Mindset; The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck
• Fixed Mindset
• Growth Mindset 
• Mindset in Sales
• Change as a Constant 
• Learn more about upcoming group course – www.michellebourquecoaching.com

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Episode Transcript:

Hello hello hello 

Welcome back to the podcast 

I’m so happy you are here 

Honestly

I love seeing more and more people tuning in 

It’s so exciting 

Please keep sharing 

We need to help the young women of the world

Especially the sales/corporate world

Be able to excel in your career 

But without the stress and overwhelm 

So you can do more of what you want 

Better work-life integration 

Keeps you going long term 

Making the money 

Changing the lives 

And living your life

So much fun

Ok – now for todays podcast I want to talk to you about 

Fixed mindset and growth mindset 

And I want to begin with looking back at how 

Perhaps some of what we learned in school 

Holds us back in the corporate world

Now listen 

I know I’m on the older side perhaps ..lol 

But – I know I am not alone in some of this mindset 

It’s funny 

The idea for this podcast came up recently in a conversation 

I was having with Marc 

I was saying how much that red pen from elementary school papers 

Scarred me 

And Marc was like 

I didn’t really care about that 

I’m like –  ummm – doesn’t everyone care about that?

Who’s with me?

In fact – 

We recently had some tests that needed to be completed for work

And my name was on an email

In red 

Signifying mine was late

For the record 

On my portal it said no due date 

lol..

But I immediately went back to like 4th grade panic

lol..

I sent a message to my manger it will be done asap 

Clearly I have some lingering thoughts..lol.

And then 

I was telling Marc –

How only A’s were acceptable back in the day

For the record – another area he didn’t seem to be on the same page as me 

I think he said a C was fine 

OMG 

Never ..lol..

First off 

My aunt Betty gave everyone a dollar for every A

Cha Ching

And – if I got a B 

You know the question right?

Why wasn’t it an A?

Now these are just two examples 

Of what I’m talking about when I say 

The mindset doesn’t serve us in today’s world

Here’s is some of what I see in my clients 

The need to always have a right or wrong answer 

The need to always do it right 

The need to get the A 

The need to not be wrong 

The need to get the external approval 

So much of it sounds lovely right?

Who wouldn’t want the A?

Of course we want to do it right

But this thinking totally leaves us in a fixed mindset 

And before I get too far in to this 

I would suggest for even more info on today’s concepts 

That you check out Carol Dwecks book 

Mindset 

The new psychology of success 

You can apply what she talks about to business 

Parenting 

School

Relationships 

Highly recommend 

In it she says 

Fixed mindset is the mindset that says 

You have your basic qualities 

They are what they are 

Fixed 

And you spend 

More time documenting 

Vs developing them

Think Memorization

Think taking tests 

Think we’ve always done it this way

That statement is like nails on a chalkboard to me

The alternative is a growth mindset 

Growth mindset is more along the lines 

Of 

knowing That you can cultivate your qualities 

And that your true potential is unknown 

Think  always learning 

Think trying new options 

I feel like now more than ever 

Especially as a sales rep

You need to be able to think out of the box

Listen 

Change has always been the one constant in my career

It can be change of what you are selling

Change of your territories 

But change happens 

And if you are not open to it 

You will not be successful long term

Think about these concepts  for any of your corporate jobs 

I mean seriously 

Stop to think about your personal life 

Thank goodness for growth minded people 

They developed online banking 

I know – you miss out on the lollipop at the bank but really

You can totally be going to the bathroom and pay your bills 

Who would’ve ever imagined 

Or 

Instacart 

Love it 

I was chatting with my 11 year old niece

And she was like 

Who would’ve imagined other people do your grocery shopping 

I’m like right?

Lets imagine 

Lets think big 

Who knows 

I mean 

Think about when you have the opportunity to suggest a new idea 

Or To offer a solution at work 

But maybe you don’t step up

Because you think it might be wrong 

Or you might fail 

Insert red pen

Vs 

Thinking you can alway learn something from a situation 

This just happened to one of my teams

We are implementing some new projects 

And something with a link didn’t quite go as it was supposed to 

But instead of thinking 

All the crazy thoughts your brain wants to offer

You know 

Things like

We should’ve never did that 

I can’t believe it messed up 

What will everyone think 

And on and on 

Instead

It’s a very simple alternative I’m going to offer you 

You are either winning 

Or learning 

And you know what 

Typically once something doesn’t go as planned 

Or we learn… 

We remember lol..

And we don’t do it again

And the gifts you get along the way 

All of the byproducts of trying new things 

And learning 

That’s the growth folks!

You evolving to your next best version 

It’s fascinating

As I was preparing for this episode 

I wanted to go flip through Dweck’s book again 

To see where I had some notes 

Or areas that stood out my first time reading

And I came upon two pages that were earmarked 

And starred 

And circled 

And underlined..lol..

So I think it resonated

Dweck discusses how so many females

Have problems with other peoples opinions of them 

By trusting them too much

Especially high achieving females

Like yourself

Because when we are little girls 

We do our best to be perfect

And 

we delight in everyone telling us all the good things 

Things like 

How well behaved we are 

How great we are doing in school 

How helpful we are 

And what happens is 

We learn to trust other people opinions of us 

And that’s how we get our validation of doing it right 

Our validation to “know” our abilities 

We get so focused on that data collection

Fixed mindset 

Vs 

Truly believing

We can do anything we 

Put our minds to 

On the flip side

Interestingly 

Dweck discusses how they observed

boys in grade school classrooms 

And how they were  8 times 

More likely to be criticized for their conduct 

Over girls

And she uses the example of how boys

Are constantly calling each other names 

Like slob and moron

And so for the boys other peoples evaluations 

Of them quickly lose their power

I see this at work 

Where we know women are more likely 

To wait 

Be sure to check all the boxes to what  

they think they need 

Before going for a promotion 

But guys

They are more like 

Sign me up

Oh – wait – what is the job again?  lol..

Listen we know 

There are gaps 

And part of that is when we have a fixed mindset

And trust others more than ourselves 

Vs 

Trusting we will always figure it out 

Knowing we always have our own back

The takeaway for me is

In order to foster a growth mindset

We must begin to see all of our limiting thoughts 

I encourage you to pay attention to when you tell yourself 

You can’t do something

Question it 

Pay attention to all the ways you might allow others to define you

What I have found for myself 

And many clients

Is we simply aren’t aware 

We just think this is the way life is 

But once you stop to question it 

Wow 

You might surprise yourself 

You are stronger and more capable then you could ever imagine 

My goal is to help you see that 

In fact –

I’m developing a new mastermind group course 

Specific to a growth/sales mindset 

Because 

I want women to see how they can truly 

Excel at work 

Without the stress and overwhelm 

And do more of what you want 

How much fun does that sound?

Make the money,

Help the people 

Live a life you want 

You in?

If you want to know about the course 

As it launches in the next couple of weeks 

Head to www.michellebourquecoaching.com 

You can start by downloading the free guide 3 simple steps to improve work-life integration 

And then you will be on my email list 

And that’s where it will be first announced 

Even if you don’t end up doing the course this first round

You will be kept up to date on all new info coming 

So much fun 

And I want to leave you with something I heard today 

In my meditation class

Have the courage to be in radical acceptance of your whole self 

Once you do that friends 

You don’t need everyone else approval 

And that is the magic to make more of what you want in life happen 

Ok – 

Thats what I have for you today

Let’s circle back next week

But for now 

Stay safe and 

Make it a great day 

Take care!