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7 February 2017

PEOPLE DO NOT GROW IF YOU THINK THEY CANNOT CHANGE

Each person is unique and has his or her own potential, so why do many leaders continue to train those who perform better and not the others?

A leader must know how to value each individual employee and must understand that each of them possesses the capabilities to grow. Leaders with a different mindset tend not to see change and improvement in some because they are influenced by their previous judgements, and this behaviour can alienate top performers and weaken motivation.

People who are more dedicated to learning will leave if opportunities for training and growth are scarce or if their ability is not recognised.

Research shows that when leaders believe in the potential of people, employees are more motivated to improve their performancemore satisfied with their work, and more willing to remain in that position. Recognition, however, must be mutuali.e. employees must also be able to notice and respond to the new behaviour of their leaders.

La growth mindset described in the previous post can be cultivated through various training and coaching activities. To get started, you can do this small exercise:

  1. Think of a time in your life when you were able to handle a difficult situation and identify the strategies that helped you learn how to cope (with this exercise you will appreciate your ability to grow)
  2. Think of a time in your life when you observed a person learning to do something you never thought they would be able to do. Analyse his or her learning process and, if you can, invite this person to talk to you about it (with this exercise you will recognise the growth capacity of others).
  3. When faced with a new challenge, brainstorm possible, experimental strategies and remember which ones work best (this exercise will help you focus on the learning process and develop flexible learning techniques)

To promote the same mentality within your organisation or team, invite your employees to do the same kind of exercise and then share what has been experienced.