When it comes time to align with customer expectations, you have to start with a change in mindset. Quota attainment often does not happen until salespeople adopt a growth mindset to help the company communicate value differently across the buyer’s organization. And that means stretching outside their comfort zone. Understanding a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset equips you with the knowledge needed to transform your company for the better through leading by example.
What is the background of the growth mindset?
Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychologist, researched how our mindsets can positively or negatively affect us. She and her team studied how students approached and reacted to failure. During their research, they noticed that some students rebounded while others were devastated by failing. As a result, Dweck discovered the “growth mindset” and the “fixed mindset” to describe people's subconscious and conscious beliefs about learning and intelligence.
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset. What’s the difference?
Understanding the differences between a growth mindset and vs. fixed mindset is advantageous. The difference between the two is as follows:
- A fixed Mindset is a belief that people have fixed traits (intelligence, success, skills, character) that cannot be changed in any meaningful way. It is the assumption that a person is born with a certain amount of skills and intelligence that cannot be improved to enhance their success. People with a fixed mindset tend to want to look smart, which leads them to avoid challenges, give up easily, see effort as fruitless, ignore criticism, and feel threatened by others’ successes. Fixed mindsets allow the person to plateau early and not be as successful as they could be.
- A growth Mindset is a belief that intelligence and skills are adaptable by overcoming challenges to achieve success. A growth mindset includes the desire to learn, embrace change, persist in the face of setbacks, see effort as the path to mastery, learn from criticism, and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others to achieve higher achievement levels.
How to instill a growth mindset
As a sales manager, you instill a growth mindset in your sales team culture. To successfully inspire your salespeople to adopt a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset, consider the following points:
- Ensure you encourage your salespeople to learn from their mistakes and overcome them. Challenge your salespeople to be better than they were yesterday. Praise them when they accomplish an achievement. Promote personal growth so they can be their best selves daily at their job and beyond.
- Become a resource for your salespeople to use as a resource to help them grow. Do not become an authoritative figure obsessed with their image as the leader.
- Instill courage in your salespeople day by day. Coach them through daunting tasks and lead them to be courageous in their everyday work.
Successfully integrating a growth mindset relies on how business executives communicate with and lead their staff. If done correctly, your staff will be open to change and overcome any obstacles during a business transformation. At Salefuse, we understand how important it is to instill growth and a fixed mindset within your organization.
