Why do some of our employees embrace challenges, bounce back quickly from setbacks, take feedback well, and adapt easily to change – whereas other employees struggle to do these very same things? And (equally important) are these differences “hard-wired” – or are they something that we can change?

The answer lies in an understanding of a concept called “mindset,” originally described by research psychologist Carol Dweck. Mindset is the most fundamental way that we perceive, understand, and interact with ourselves, other people, and the world at large – and it can take two different forms: “fixed” or “growth.”

People with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence and skills are essentially innate (“fixed”) characteristics; you either have them, or you don’t. As a result, fixed mindset people often feel compelled to continually prove to themselves – and to others – how much innate intelligence and talent they already have. Unfortunately, this leads to a tendency to prefer working on things they’re already good at, and they can struggle if challenged to step outside their comfort zone – where they fear they might appear to be lacking in new or different skill sets.

By contrast, people with a growth mindset believe that “innate” intelligence and skills are significantly less important than effort and learning. They believe that it’s not how you start – it’s how you finish. And how you finish is largely determined by how hard you’re willing to work and how much you’re willing to learn. As a result, people with a growth mindset are less concerned with proving how smart, talented, and capable they already are – and are more interested in doing everything they possibly can to get better. They embrace challenges, show resilience in the face of setbacks, welcome feedback, and are undaunted by change.

The good news is that mindset itself is not “fixed”; it can be shaped at both the individual and the organizational level by focusing on three key factors. Understanding how to leverage these factors allows us to shift ourselves – and to help others shift – from fixed to growth mindset. Shifting to a growth mindset allows us – and our employees, our colleagues, our children and our partners – to perform at our best and to maximize our potential in every area of both our professional and personal lives.

This session provides participants with a robust understanding of the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset – and the ability to recognize the components of these mindsets in themselves and in others. Particular attention is also given to the specific steps that participants can take to shift from fixed to growth mindset – and how they can help others make this shift as well. At the end of the session, participants will (1) understand the value of shifting themselves, their employees/colleagues, and their organizations towards a growth mindset; (2) have the tools to make this shift at the individual and organizational level; and (3) have identified the first two specific steps that they, personally, can take to begin to make this shift.