Success for someone in the technology sector requires many different things.
Ambitious tech candidates need agility, the ability to adapt to new technologies and methodologies, to get ahead on the path to the ideal career.
However, while skills and experience are crucial in everything from Salesforce positions, to blockchain management, there is one additional element you’ll need to accomplish your goals. Without the right mindset, you’ll struggle to find the drive, motivation, and grit you need to overcome both personal and professional obstacles.
A growth mindset is the key to unlocking your true potential.
The Power of Thought: What is a Growth Mindset?
The concept of the “growth” mindset was first established by Professor Carol Dweck from Stanford University.
Following years of study into student behaviour, Dweck and her team discovered that certain attitudes pre-empt specific outcomes for learners. Dweck’s research suggested that the people who believed they were going to fail or allowed themselves to be derailed by academic setbacks were the ones that struggled to accomplish their goals.
Carol Dweck’s work shows that there’s a connection between what you do, and what you believe. Those with a “fixed” mindset are stuck in place, unable to develop and expand, while those with a “growth” mindset can build on their experiences and uncover new opportunities.
So, what’s the difference?
Separating the Fixed Mindset from the “Growth” Mindset
Dweck’s research indicates that a person with a fixed mindset believes that people simply have certain talents, or they don’t. In other words, a fixed-mindset employee may approach blockchain, find it complicated, and tell themselves that they “weren’t meant” to work with that type of technology. People with fixed mindsets believe that they’re limited to the skills they were given by some ‘higher power’.
Alternatively, someone with a growth mindset places no restrictions on themselves. They believe that no-one is given a certain set of skills, and the only way to achieve your goals is through hard work. Following the example above, if a person with a growth mindset struggled to understand blockchain, they would ask themselves why this was the case, and create a strategy to overcome their challenge, for instance, they might:
- Look for training opportunities to expand their knowledge
- Ask for help from mentors or peers
- Assess their skillsets and determine whether there are gaps in their talent
- Look for opportunities to learn from previous mistakes
Someone with a growth mindset believes that growth is always possible. So, how can someone transform their fixed approach into one that facilitates personal and professional development?
1. Embrace Your Curiosity
The technology landscape is always changing. However, we’re lucky enough to live in a time where knowledge about this industry is always available. Someone with a growth mindset doesn’t let a lack of understanding hold them back. Instead, they search for opportunities to fill their skills gap and take the next step in their career.
For instance, someone with a fixed mindset might panic when AI-infused marketing systems and automated tools are introduced to the business. They may say “I can’t use AI,” or “I don’t understand this technology.”
Someone with a growth mindset, on the other hand, would acknowledge their skills gap, then find ways to overcome it.
People with growth mindsets aren’t afraid of change; they approach it with curiosity and excitement.
2. Set Ambitious Goals and Challenge Yourself
People with a fixed mindset believe that you’re born with natural abilities. If these people don’t accomplish something effortlessly, they think that they’re just not meant to do it. People with growth mindsets believe the opposite; they know that they must work hard to achieve success.
Tech stars with a growth mindset don’t strive to out-do their peers. Instead, they challenge themselves by competing against their past selves. They set the bar high and realise that failure is something they don’t need to be afraid of. This makes people with growth mindsets great leaders in technology.
After all, a good leader is also willing to take risks and learn from their mistakes on the path to success. Learning a new digital marketing skill or exploring a new avenue in your Salesforce career won’t always lead to the results you expect. However, if you have a growth mindset, you won’t let setbacks hold you back.
With a growth mindset, you learn that one bad outcome doesn’t define your ability or potential. Instead, failure gives you more opportunities to learn and grow. That’s why NASA looks for astronauts who have bounced back from failure, according to Carol Dweck, instead of choosing those with histories of “pure success.”
3. Welcome Feedback and Opportunities to Learn
Finally, embracing a growth mindset means understanding that there’s always a new opportunity to learn. People with growth mindsets know that knowledge is crucial to their success, but intelligence is something they must work for.
Compare your skill set to your career plan and figure out where you need to go to reach your goals. A growth mindset will push you into pursuing the next stage of your development, even when your motivation is low. People with growth mindsets are also happy to accept feedback and use it as a compass to dictate where they need to develop their skills.
Some companies actively encourage this quest for education and self-discovery. For instance, Microsoft runs an annual hackathon that gives employees the chance to develop leadership skills and new talents outside of their day job. Someone with a growth mindset would embrace this opportunity for new training.
Adopting a growth mindset means knowing that you have the potential to achieve your professional goals. All you need to do is work for them.
Thanks
Lee
About Resource On Demand
Resource On Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company, now also focusing on growth Cloud markets.
We assist innovative and disruptive organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill Cloud roles that span across Digital Marketing, Marketing Automation, Human Capital Management and the growing Salesforce.com suite of skills.
The team at Resource On Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 Cloud professionals each year.