Growth Mindset VS Fixed Mindset, What Is It? [Explanation]

What is the growth mindset? In short, it means that you do not encourage someone on their identity level (‘You are my little princess!’), but on their actions and commitment (‘You always stand up back again!’). How do you put this into practice? Read it here. 

What is growth mindset and fixed mindset?

• Growth mindset means that you are not satisfied with the current situation. You keep looking for ways to improve things.
• Fixed mindset means that you do not see any possibilities to improve a current situation.

Practical example of the Growth Mindset

How do you apply the Growth Mindset in your daily life? Pay close attention to your language when encouraging someone. Encourage commitment and not capability and identity. Just look at the example below of encouraging with the Growth Mindset:

Well done, you really put time and effort into it.

The above example is much better if you compare it to the example below:

You are talented!

With the last example, the recipient of the compliment is more likely to lean back and work less hard.

‘But isn’t it good to give feedback on someone’s capacities and identity?’

We are so often told not to stay in the ‘basement of Dilts’, but to deal with the higher logical levels . For example, by encouraging at the high level of skills, values ​​and identity .

Still, we should not underestimate the lower logical level of behavior. The Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck) teaches us that the lower logical levels can have a tremendous effect on a person’s motivation to move forward …

Growth Mindset: encourage precisely at the level of behavior

So we do well to compliment behavior instead of capacities or identity. The Growth Mindset focuses on something essential: how do you condition yourself to achieve the progress you have achieved over and over again in the future? That way it doesn’t become a one-off trick. The lower levels can give hands and feet to this, which is why they are so important.

How do you coach with the Growth Mindset?

Again, the growth mindset is about seeing possibilities for something to do,  and not to sit back because if things go well and you all a great human being are . Being is fixed, doing is growth.

If you want to train or coach with the growth mindset, always raise the bar a bit higher when the other has almost reached the bar! In addition, you can do the following: we take the model that you can use during an intake – current situation, desired situation, obstacles and resources – and add a touch of confidence by rewarding commitment and celebrating results.

• Goals: what would you like to achieve?
• The current situation: what is happening now?
• Options: what can you do ?
• Obstacles: what’s holding you back?
• Actions: what are you going to do ?
• Tactics: How and when are you going to do ?
• Habits: how are you going to maintain and further develop success ?

Push harder.
– Dan Pena

And now comes the most important thing: celebrate the successes and encourage the client based on his lower logical levels: behavior and habits.

Someone with a growth mindset – instead of a static mindset – thinks, “What can I learn from this situation or from this person?” Instead of sticking to the old frame of reference.

What can and can’t you say to hold onto the Growth Mindset?

So you say, for example: “Great work today!” “You really show that you are progressing!”

So you don’t say, “You are a talent!” “You are the best!” “You are an impressive team player!”

Compliments based on higher logical levels will not motivate the client nearly as well to make the same big leap next time.

Read more in Carol Dweck’s book

Carol Dwck’s book ‘Mindset’ is all about the growth mindset.

To your success!