Many people have vivid memories from their school days of the ‘red pen’ and the anticipation of finding out their grade. Achieving an ‘A’ was reinforcement of success and provided confidence to tackle the next topic. Conversely, receiving a ‘C’ or below sent a message to the student that they were not successful.
Thankfully, in a work environment there is a noticeable absence of the red pen and grades are no where to be seen, however evaluating skill level is fundamental to determining a worker’s ongoing suitability in the position. But maybe we need to consider that performance is a journey and instead of deeming that an employee is unable to perform a task, we simply add the word ‘yet’.
Carol Dweck, a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University has done extensive research distinguishing between ‘fixed’ and 'growth’ mindsets and how they impact us from our early days at school right through to the workplace.
If you have a growth mindset, it means that you believe that your intelligence and talents can be developed over time. However, if you have a fixed mindset this means that you believe that intelligence is fixed; so if you are not good at something, it will likely stay that way.
The good news is that Dr Dweck believes that we do not necessarily fall cleanly into one or another; that we are all on the spectrum and this mindset can vary depending upon the situation. If you are reflecting on where you and your colleagues might fall; there are triggers to look for. For example, are you someone that believes that you are no good at presentations? Or do you have a workmate that openly shares that they ‘can’t do spreadsheets’?
If you would like to nurture and develop growth mindsets in the workplace, it is recommended that the ‘power of yet’ is considered. From a performance perspective, it does not have to be that workers are considered ‘good or bad’ at a task; but rather that the employee is on a development journey they are just not there – yet.
Consider the below examples:
| The power of ‘yet’ from an employee’s perspective | |
|---|---|
| Fixed | Growth |
| “I am not confident in presentations” | “I am not confident in presentations yet” |
| “I don’t understand spreadsheets” | “I don’t understand spreadsheets yet” |
| “I don’t know how to use the new software” | “I don’t know how to use the new software yet” |
| “I can’t work out this new production line” | “I can’t work out this new production line yet” |
| “I’m not sure of how to work the machinery” | “I’m not sure of how to work the machinery yet” |
The ‘power of yet’ can also be used from a leader’s perspective:
| The power of ‘yet’ from a leader’s perspective | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Growth | The power of yet |
| “Is the report finished?” | “Are you ready for me to review the report yet?” | Note that the first is about success or failure and the second option acknowledges the report might not be complete – but shows that you believe it will be and you understand the employee may need more time. |
| “Have you made your sales target?” | “Have you made your sales target yet?” | The first assumes a success or failure answer and the second is more of a ‘check in’ that adopts the growth mindset that the sales results will be achieved. |
| “Do you feel comfortable with the new software?” | “Do you feel comfortable with the new software yet?” | The first assumes the employee will either have mastered the software or not understand it – and the other allows the employee to feel that the leader knows that they will get there. |
Employees with a growth mindset will be more likely to respond constructively and positively to feedback in performance discussions. Leaders are often faced with the task of informing employees that they are not where they need to be; but consider for a moment how the tone of the discussion changes when you add the word ‘yet’. This tiny word packs a punch and shows workers that the leader sees them on a learning journey – as opposed to arriving unsuccessful.
Leaders are encouraged to promote growth mindsets and the ‘power of yet’ by:
| Employee comment | Leader response |
|---|---|
| “I don’t want to be involved in the project because I am not good at spreadsheets” | “I acknowledge that you are not competent yet in spreadsheets, however you will be supported and the project team will benefit from your experience” |
| “I don’t have any experience in monthly reports” |
“I understand your concern and acknowledge that you don’t have any experience yet – but we would like to support you and believe you can do it” |
Perhaps it is healthier for us to consider that weaknesses are strengths that we haven’t developed yet. A fixed mindset assumes that the end result is set in stone and a growth mindset is comfortable being a ‘work in progress’.
Employees who commonly fall in the fixed mindset will make peace with being good at some things and not understanding others; but imagine if these employees resisted the temptation to put a label on themselves. ‘The power of yet’ fundamentally supports the possibility for growth and can dramatically change the performance landscape.
For assistance with your workplace matters, Members of Ai Group can contact us or call our Workplace Advice Line on 1300 55 66 77 for further information. Ai Group has an extensive performance management section offering members a range of tools, resources and support to optimise and manage performance. Our section on optimising performance has further information about the role of a growth mindset in performance.
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
