How to Encourage a Growth Mindset in the Workplace

In the words of American television host and cardigan icon Fred Rogers, "You can grow ideas in the garden of your mind. All you have to do is think and they'll grow.” We’ll pause a moment here for you to have a brief cry. Go on, let it out!

As Mister Rogers suggested, our minds are fertile ground for new ideas and perspectives and we have the potential to cultivate and nurture them like plants in a garden!

That’s good news because having a growth mindset is essential in today's rapidly changing workplace. Study after study has shown that employees who embrace growth and learning are more adaptable and resilient to change, which leads to higher job satisfaction and productivity!

On the L&D side of things, according to LinkedIn’s 2023 Learning Report, 89% of L&D pros agree that proactively building employee skills will help navigate the evolving future of work.

As a learning and development professional, it's your responsibility to create an environment that fosters this type of growth mindset. So throw on your best Fred Rogers cardigan, and get ready to fertilize some mind gardens!

Here are eight actionable strategies you can use to encourage a growth mindset in the workplace.

Lead by Example

First up— lead by example! As an L&D professional, it's important to model a growth mindset in your own behavior. This means being open to feedback, embracing challenges, and seeking out new learning opportunities when you can.

When employees see their leaders embracing a growth mindset, they're more likely to adopt this mindset as well. Encourage your team to share their own learning experiences and celebrate their successes. Much like that time your 5th-grade classmate showed up with a sick stack of Pogs and then EVERYONE showed up with a sick stack of Pogs, your example will breed a culture of continuous improvement in no time.

Set Clear Expectations

When it comes to encouraging a growth mindset, it's important to set clear expectations for your team. Let them know that you value learning and development and that you expect them to embrace a growth mindset as well.

But don’t be a jerk about it! Setting expectations like this can be a delicate process, and it's important to avoid coming across as annoying or demanding. Make sure your team knows that they have your support and encouragement as they work towards their goals.

One way to establish your expectations is to incorporate L&D goals into employee performance reviews. This will help them understand that growth and development are an important part of their job responsibilities. But again, don’t be a jerk. Please!

Provide Opportunities

You can’t expect a garden to grow without any sunlight. And you can’t expect to cultivate a growth mindset in your team if you aren’t providing opportunities for it to happen! Those are just facts!

It's important to provide as many opportunities as you can for learning and development. This may include training sessions, workshops, and conferences. Be sure that these opportunities are easily and equitably accessible to your entire team and as convenient for them to complete as possible.

We are big fans of micro and mobile learning courses! They’re accessible on-demand, which allows employees to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. This flexible approach empowers employees to take ownership of their own learning and to pursue their own interests quickly and easily.

Encourage Collaboration

Collaboration is key to fostering a growth mindset in the workplace. Encourage your team to work together on projects and share their knowledge with one another. You never know what new insights or perspectives they may gain by challenging their own assumptions. Plus, if your team feels supported by one another, they are more likely to embrace challenges and persevere through setbacks.

Not only that but it can create a sense of accountability among team members, which will encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning and growth. No one wants to be the only team player not participating!

Celebrate Failure

Didn’t see this one coming, did ya? It’s true! A growth mindset is all about embracing challenges and learning from failure. Failure is a natural and necessary part of the learning process! Encourage your team to take risks and don't punish them if they make mistakes. By celebrating failures, you’ll show your team that making mistakes is not only okay but necessary for growth and progress.

Encourage your team to share what they've learned from their own mistakes and be sure to share some of your own misfires! You don’t have to tell them about that time you mass-emailed a photo of Carrot Top to all your stakeholders though. That one can be your little secret.

Provide Feedback

Providing feedback is key to encouraging a growth mindset. Regular feedback will help your team understand where they need to improve and how they can continue to grow.

Don’t forget to provide opportunities for cross-functional teams to collaborate and encourage employees to seek out feedback from their peers! While no one loves receiving feedback, it’s a fast and powerful way to learn from your mistakes and build upon your strengths. Just be sure to keep all feedback constructive!

Reward Growth and Development

We have a revolutionary, insiders-only secret for you. People love rewards. We know, it’s pretty groundbreaking stuff! To encourage a growth mindset, it's important to reward your team for their L&D efforts. This could include promotions, bonuses, or other incentives like a gift card to your local cheese shop.

Make sure to recognize employees who are really embracing a growth mindset and celebrate their success with them! By doing so, you’ll emphasize the importance of progress, learning, confidence, and risk-taking!

Embrace Change

Finally, embrace change. Encourage your team to be as open to new ideas and experiences as possible while simultaneously providing them with the resources they need to learn and grow in a changing environment.

Embracing change can help to foster adaptability, innovation, and resilience, and encourage employees to see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks. Hey, change can be exciting!

Conclusion

Encouraging a growth mindset in the workplace is essential to creating a culture of continuous learning and improvement. As a learning and development professional, it's crucial to lead by example, set clear expectations, and provide opportunities for learning and development!

By following the strategies outlined in this blog, you can create a workplace culture that values growth and development, and encourages employees to embrace new challenges and opportunities!

Mister Rogers would be proud.

Interested in partnering with IDLance on your next project? Get in touch with our Director of Business Development, Ann York!