Growth Mindset and the Power of Yet
One of the first things I was told when applying to Avanceon is that I would need to be willing to learn. I was ready and willing to take on any challenge—which was good, because the job was incredibly difficult at first. I wanted to prove that Avanceon had made a good decision in hiring me, which made it so much more frustrating when I struggled with some of the training. I questioned my abilities, my resolve, and whether Avanceon had made the right choice.
However, as time went on, with the support of my boss and other mentors, I began to realize that it was okay that I didn’t know all the answers yet. Struggling with the trainings allowed me to develop a Growth Mindset, which would in turn better equip me to solve future problems. Not knowing an answer won’t define me as an employee; instead, I am defined by how I respond when I don’t have an answer (an inevitable occurrence for us all).
The Growth Mindset is all about how an individual looks at learning and challenging situations. When you approach learning a new skill or figuring out a tough problem with a Growth Mindset, you’re excited by the challenge. You’re eager to learn and more importantly, you are not afraid of failing because failing doesn’t mean you’re hopeless—it just means you haven’t succeeded yet.
Challenges will be different for a new employee or a company veteran, but having the Growth Mindset is vital to being (as well as feeling) successful in both scenarios. Rookies will have to be okay with not understanding how to use ladder logic or how to create an HMI right away and they will have to be ready and willing to push themselves to learn. The grizzled vets that have been working in this field might have to deal with a new device that requires them to research and study its inner workings so they can implement it properly. There’s an opportunity for both those fresh and those familiar to see the benefit in the learning process, and not just in getting the answer.
The psychologist who defined the Growth Mindset, Carol Dweck, said that “When people believe their basic qualities can be developed, failures may still hurt, but failures don’t define them. If abilities can be expanded – if change and growth are possible, then there are still many paths to success.” Whether you’re just beginning your career or you’re established and wise, it’s important to remember that there is a huge difference between not knowing and not knowing yet.
That’s how I look at learning and how Avanceon support it. How do you and you company approach it?
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