Performance is the metric that we are judged upon daily. Employees at Meta were told last month that more job cuts were incoming. “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. But what defines performance and does potential come into it at all?
With companies making dramatic changes, the focus is on what employees can deliver in the here and now. Tough decisions are being made and people are scared. Because of this, employee growth is stymied. Employees don’t have a growth mindset as they are in fight or flight mode; and the C-suites of these companies don’t have one, either, as they are furiously changing their roadmaps.
Growth should be sustainable
I would argue that growth should be sustainable. Mass hiring then mass redundancies aren’t healthy for anyone. Instead, hire people and emphasise to them that their role will change over time as the world around them evolves. Give employees a growth mindset – and by that I mean, the tools to develop and learn constantly; and to maintain their relevance as technology and world events transform every industry. As Till Leopold, Head of Work, Wages and Job Creation at the World Economic Forum said: “Trends such as generative AI and rapid technological shifts are upending industries and labour markets, creating both unprecedented opportunities and profound risks. The time is now for businesses and governments to work together, invest in skills and build an equitable and resilient global workforce.”
Future proofing
Having a growth mindset yourself – and helping foster it in others – supports this. Psychologist Carol Dweck said in her now legendary TED Talk on growth mindset: “People with a fixed mindset believe that their talents and abilities are fixed traits” while “people with a growth mindset believe that their abilities can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and mentoring.”
For me, it’s central to everything that I do and I have committed to life-long learning. Every single year, I do some type of executive training and in some cases, I redo them because I want to see how the thinking has evolved since the last time I did it.
“Thinking does evolve – not just because of technological or political shifts – but because we are discovering more every month about how our minds work.”
We know our brains are not fixed and can be changed. Before the age of 25 years old, our brain can rewire just by passive exposure to information. After that age, you have to actively pursue new information or carry out new activities to change your neural pathways. It’s a conscious choice. But why wouldn’t you?
Co-creating
When I work with a team, I see the impact profoundly. During a client project recently, we were about to hit a critical point. I was focussed on creating and delivering value, but there was an amazing moment when my own insights lead the client towards their own – and totally unique – solution. This means that my growth mindset has encouraged the same in them. You end up as co-creators instead of just plugging away with a static approach.
“The moment when you all land upon an idea that you hadn’t thought about before is magic.”
No one has all of the answers, after all. Instead, be curious, be willing to ask questions and hone the ability to learn and change. As Albert Einstein is quoted as saying: “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”. If you haven’t read it, look up Matthew Sayed’s book, Bounce, which is brilliant on this.
With a growth mindset comes resilience, which feels pretty essential right now as the world of work changes at breakneck pace. Learn how to develop your growth mindset in times of calm so that when life throws a curveball your way, you have the knowledge and tools to deal with it. This is a way not just to cope, but to come through times of adversity stronger. Yes, growth mindset can be a buzzword. And yes, it’s a topic that might well get some eye rolls when you talk about it. And yet, when the stakes are high, having a growth mindset will get you through – and you will be stronger than before.
