growth mindset Archives

What Having “The Talk” with Your Teenager Has to Do with Being a Better Leader

July 28, 2022 by Megan Fine

August 2, 2022 | Mark Altman

What does having a talk with your kid about sex have in common with having a conversation with your leadership team about change?

Both are courageous, vulnerable conversations that are made easier and more effective when approached with curiosity.

Before I spoke to my own children about sex, I internally reflected on my goals for the conversation and considered:

How can I have this conversation in a way that facilitates open-mindedness and allows my child to process this information on his terms, not mine?
What is the right amount of information to share? How long should this conversation be?
How much of the conversation should be me talking versus the child talking?

Often, parents think about having a conversation with their kids about sex as a major event, but one of the best pieces of advice I got was to have multiple conversations to keep the lines of communication open. I kept this wisdom in mind and headed into the conversation with curiosity.

After the conversation ended, my immediate reaction was, “That didn’t go well,” which was a cue for me to be curious. The second I feel that something didn’t meet my expectations, I ask: what is that based on? Is it based on body language I noticed, actual feedback I received, outcomes I set that weren’t met, or something subjective? Even body language isn’t always clear, so being curious meant questioning my assumption that the conversation didn’t go well and having clear criteria for evaluating whether that was true.

When defaulting to curiosity, if I still feel something didn’t go well, then I return to the two mindset progressions we teach at MindsetGo

Fixed to Growth Mindset: Instead of “I failed”: what do I need to do differently next time?
Growth to Advantage Mindset: I acknowledge that I didn’t do well, but ask: how will this serve me? Why is it an advantage that this happened? E.g., I can see what I did wrong, and it will set me up to do better in the future.

When it comes to impactful leadership communication, less is more. Building and sustaining the habit of leading with empathy and defaulting to curiosity will open up communication channels and make people comfortable speaking their truth and not what they think you want to hear.

Enjoy this post? Contact us at MindsetGo to empower your leaders and teams to build confidence, develop skills, and shift mindsets and habits for lasting change.

How to Know If You’re a Good Leader (or Parent or Teammate or Friend)

April 8, 2022 by Megan Fine

April 8, 2022 | Mark Altman

Do you ever find yourself wondering: Was I a good leader today? Was I a good parent? Was I a good teammate? Was I a good friend?

Without a clear way to evaluate the diverse roles we play in our lives, we often default to the negative, find flaws, and beat ourselves up for where we perceive we failed. Our philosophy at MindsetGo is that we don’t allow our clients to criticize themselves unless they have a clear set of criteria to evaluate their performance whether it be personally or professionally.

The way we coach people to overcome this challenge is to develop a variety of success templates. A success template removes ambiguity from the equation, allows you to clearly recognize what you did well, and offers clear guidance to improve next time. It focuses less on outcomes and more on recognizing the habits and behaviors you can control and influence in any of your personal or professional roles.

Take performance conversations for example. As a leader, to date, your evaluation of performance conversations has likely been: the conversation was a success if the person immediately changed their behavior and unsuccessful if they didn’t.

But what if you instead evaluated the conversation using our MindsetGo Four Communication Ingredients success template?

Was my word choice compassionate, respectful, and kind?
Was my tone curious and empathetic?
Was my body language positive and open?
Did I listen to understand, rather than respond?
Did I maintain the four ingredients throughout the conversation?

This template provides a benchmark for assessing your behavior around word choice, tone, body language, and listening, rather than the response of your employee. By improving these ingredients, you will be better able to influence your employee’s thoughts, feelings, and actions.

If you’re committed to building more self-awareness around your ability to become a confident and effective communicator, email us at info@mindsetgo.com and we’ll share our Situational Awareness Journal, a powerful tool we use to empower clients to start and sustain their habits through incremental growth.

Enjoy this post? Contact us at MindsetGo to empower your leaders and teams to build confidence, develop skills, and shift mindsets and habits for lasting change.

Putting Things in Perspective…A Positive One

April 4, 2022 by Chris Rosinski

March 31, 2022 | Mark Altman & Megan Fine

A few days ago, my client, Laura, showed up to our coaching session with a chagrined look on her face.

“I’m doing okay,” she told me, “But I didn’t do everything we talked about.”

“Okay. No problem,” I told her. “Let’s talk about it.”

And lo and behold, we walked through each one of her action steps, and I kid you not, she had completed every one.

“Laura! You did everything we talked about. What am I missing?” I asked.

“I didn’t work out this week. That’s one of my goals, and I didn’t make any progress,” she replied.

Here’s the thing – Laura and I have a long list of goals we’re working on together. Her exercise routine is on the list but was not something we were focused on that week. Our intention was to build a few other habits and routines first, before adding in time at the gym.

Raise your hand if you’ve been Laura – you’re knocking it out of the park, but all you can see is the thing you didn’t do or the (perceived) mistake you made.

Human beings are problem-solvers by nature; we are designed to look for things that aren’t going well, so we can fix them, instead of recognizing and celebrating what is working.

So often, we focus on outcomes – did I achieve the thing I wanted to achieve? – and overlook the progress we’re making even when things don’t go the way we’d like. For this reason, whether you’re trying something new, gearing yourself up for a difficult conversation, or trying to be more patient with your partner or kid, recognizing what you are doing right is critical.

If you’re worried that this approach might lend itself to complacency or a missed opportunity to change your behavior for a better outcome next time, no problem. Instead of criticizing and judging yourself, simply reflect:

What went well?
What can I control to create a different outcome?
What would be an incremental improvement?

Start noticing how many things are going right – and explore the exciting possibilities of how they can get even better.

Enjoy this post? Contact us at MindsetGo to empower your leaders and teams to build the confidence, develop the skills, and embrace the mindset to create lasting habit and behavior change.

There’s No Downside to Intentionality…Right?

March 15, 2022 by Chris Rosinski

March 14, 2022 | Mark Altman & Megan Fine

Intentional (adjective): done on purpose; deliberate

As a leader, you’re likely onboard with the idea of thinking and acting intentionally. You set goals, OKRs, and KPIs thoughtfully, considering the needs and objectives of your organization, and making data-driven decisions for optimal outcomes and success.

As coaches, we also counsel our clients to behave intentionally – to think through their goals, motivating factors, and consequences of inaction – and execute their action plans with mindfulness and focus.

So, when then does intentionality become a problem? When can intentionality be taken too far?

When we are outcome and data-driven, we often achieve our objectives – but the question is, at what cost? What do we miss when we are laser-focused on hitting our targets and optimizing time and productivity?

We miss people. When we are so focused on end results, we can forget that people – human beings – are driving and producing those results. We miss the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the individuals who help us achieve our success.

MIT Sloan recently released a study on the drivers of the Great Resignation, and fascinatingly, high levels of innovation at an organization was a strong predictor of attrition: “The more positively employees talked about innovation at their company, the more likely they were to quit.” Innovation is fantastic – until it comes at a cost to your people.

The same goes for productivity. Take meetings as a prime example. We’ve all been in meetings that aren’t intentional – disorganized, lacking clear next steps, or the “this could have been an email” type. On the other hand, meetings led with the intention of making every second count can sometimes leave us feeling out of breath, like we didn’t have time or space to voice concerns, share ideas, or thoughtfully consider the work at hand.

Leading in a way that takes people’s experiences into consideration starts with self-awareness. Do you authentically check-in with your team at the beginning of your meetings before diving into the work? Do you allow time for people to share ideas, discuss, and collaborate? Do you ask for feedback rather than assuming you know how people are experiencing your meetings?

If you don’t, that’s okay – you now have the self-awareness to start building these habits. Keep noticing where you might be prioritizing outcomes and efficiency at the expense of your people, and make sure intentionality isn’t working against you by ensuring their thoughts, feelings, and experiences are part of the equation.

For support with meeting facilitation and employee engagement, CONTACT US at MindsetGo. We empower your leaders and teams to build the confidence, develop the skills, and embrace the mindset to create lasting habit and behavior change.

What to Do When You’re Not Motivated

February 1, 2022 by Chris Rosinski

February 1, 2022 | Megan Fine

How often have you wanted to do something, but when the time comes, you’re simply not motivated?

Why do we struggle to follow through on the things we say want to do? Why is it so hard to change even one small habit?

If I told you there was a tool that could double or triple your likelihood of following through on a new habit, would you be willing to try it?

The secret to change is so simple, most people will disregard it as too easy and basic to be effective. Studies show that using an implementation intention can increase likelihood of follow through from 35% up to 91%.

What is an implementation intention? An implementation intention is an action plan that articulates when and where we will perform a new habit. Use the following formula to create an implementation intention:

When situation X arises, I will perform response Y.

For example, if your resolution this year was to be more focused and productive at work, here are a couple ways you might translate that goal into an implementation intention:

When I open my computer at the beginning of the day, I will work for 1 hour before checking my email.
When I go to lunch, I will silence my phone so I can return to work refreshed.

You can also try formulating your implementation intention as an if/then statement to overcome any anticipated obstacles. (If situation X arises, I will perform response Y.)

If I am tempted to go on Facebook during the workday, I will stretch for 5 minutes and then refocus on my priorities.

So why do implementation intentions work? Planning out your behavior in advance means that you don’t have to rely on motivation to inspire you to act. You simply follow your predetermined plan when the appropriate situation arises.

Implementation intentions also help us overcome habituated resistance, as they allow the brain to form new neural pathways by mentally rehearsing new behaviors before doing them.

Still not convinced that this simple tool could be the difference-maker for you? Then don’t take my word for it – try it yourself.

Enjoy this post? Contact us to empower your leaders and teams to build the confidence, develop the skills, and embrace the mindset to create lasting habit and behavior change.

Proactive Change: “If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It” is Bad Advice. Here’s Why

January 24, 2022 by Chris Rosinski

January 24, 2022 | Mark Altman & Megan Fine

Pause for a moment and tell me: how do you start your workday?

Do you sit down and open your inbox to 37 new emails…amidst the other 2,347 sitting there unfiled? Do you dig through the piles of paper on your desk to find that to-do list you started a couple days ago? Do you dive into one project, only to jump to another, and then forget where you were when you hear the chime of your Slack notifications?

It’s not so bad though, right? Your disorganization is costing you, what, maybe 10 minutes a day sorting through things to find what you really need or get focused.

But if you think about it…if you’re working 250 days of the year, you’re actually losing 2,500 minutes. 42 hours. An entire work week of productivity. Ouch.

Most people don’t bother changing until their situation gets bad – until they get the poor performance review, or their spouse says, “We need to talk,” or their doctor sits them down for the test results no one wants to get back.

This way of being is reactive, but there is a better way. It’s being proactive and acting before the situation escalates out of control and hands you consequences that you’d rather not experience.

But being proactive is challenging, which is why so many of us don’t bother to do it. Everything’s fine, good enough, right? To work towards being more proactive, you must first be reflective and consider what changes might be worth making. To do that, consider these questions:

If I don’t bother changing:

What opportunities might I miss out on?
What kind of problems might arise?
What is the ultimate cost of doing nothing?
Where will I be in 6 months, 1 year, 10 years?

If I do bother changing:

What good things might become possible?
What might I be able to do that I can’t do now?
What would be the best part of that?
Where could I be in 6 months, 1 year, 10 years?

As a leader, helping your team move from acting reactively, to being reflective, to acting proactively is an excellent ROI on your time. By walking people through the consequences of inaction and the benefits of making positive changes, you can motivate them to take action they otherwise wouldn’t have to optimize their personal and professional lives.

10 minutes a day is 42 hours a year. What better things could you do with all that time? If you have a team of 10, what could you do with 10 extra work weeks each year?

It’s time to retire, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and lean into, “If it ain’t broke yet, it’s a great time to optimize!”

Enjoy this post? Contact us to empower your leaders and teams to build the confidence, develop the skills, and embrace the mindset to create lasting habit and behavior change.

Let’s Get Engaged!

November 10, 2020 by Alan Fleming

Employee Disengagement

One of the most common observations about employees nowadays is that they are disengaged. But, what did we expect? We have seldom created a culture of open and honest communication and as a practical rule, that environment will not invent itself. It can only happen intentionally. Only by creating an atmosphere where employees feel engaged and valued, can we get genuine answers to those vital questions. Companies will often bring in outside consultants to do engagement surveys to gather more information about their employees. This is a necessary first step, however the ensuing critical thinking process is what will determine if and how to use the survey results.

Actions Need to Equal Words

Are you prepared to make changes if employees communicate they’re unhappy? Are you prepared to address their concerns if enough people are asking? We always advise companies to not ask questions you aren’t prepared to act on and have a clear metric on how many people need to voice a frustration to motivate you to change. Without some clear understanding of what the organization is prepared and able to do, any engagement survey is unlikely to fulfill its promise.

Next Steps

A difficult decision to make with assessments is whether to make them anonymous. When employees know that the assessment isn’t about punishment or judgment, and there are no consequences, the individuals will be more apt to be open and honest with their communication to leadership. On the flip side, leadership must acknowledge that creating the conditions for open conversation isn’t likely to happen if there is no past precedent. The challenge we help organizations with is how to create that culture for authentic sharing of thoughts, ideas, feelings, and general feedback. We must prepare for these crucial conversations before, during, and after we inquire about our employees’ engagement.

Accomplishing Success

After all, W. Edwards Deming, the father of modern quality, reminded us of two things—that the most important things in a company can’t be measured, and that people are entitled to enjoy their work.

For more information on how MindsetGo can help your company culture, improve internal and external communication among your leaders and teams, and improve employee engagement, please check out MindsetGo.com or call us at 978-206-1535.

People Can Change… Can’t They?

October 19, 2020 by Alan Fleming

Food for Thought

In 1975, a Kodak engineer went to the company’s leadership and described what he had created—the first digital photograph! They expressed their astonishment at his brilliance and marveled at his ability to predict the future of their industry. Oh wait…. That’s not what happened… The company’s leadership told him that there was no value to his work and that no one would ever want to see an electronic version of a picture. They (or so they thought) had seen the future, and Kodak wasn’t in it.

Did You Know?

It’s been widely estimated that at least 50% of organization’s change initiatives are either over budget, over schedule, or have outright failed to meet planned objectives. Research shows that 95% of who we are by the time we are 35 years old is a memorized set of behaviors, emotional reactions, unconscious habits, and hardwired attitudes with beliefs as well as perceptions that function like a computer program.

Now What?

Can people change? The answer is, YES, they can. The questions that must serve as guidance are: How does this change happen? What needs to happen to bring about this change?

Organizational Awareness

Believe it or not, nature provides an outline for dealing with change in an organization. The first question to evaluate is, “What needs to die?” Organizations must stop and think about the following: What actions do we need to suspend that are no longer serving us or translating to success? Additionally, if changes have recently been made, organizations must assess: What has been learned from those changes and how can those lessons be utilized for new growth? Finally, how can we invest in successful new growth?

That’s certainly a lot of questions, however I believe that each is vital to understanding the nature of change in an organization. There is clearly not a quick solution, but instead a comprehensive understanding of a variety of factors and meaningful strategies.

For more information on how MindsetGo can help your company implement change initiatives, improve internal communication among your leaders and teams, and facilitate difficult conversations, please check out MindsetGo.com or call us at 978-206-1535.