From Growth to the Purpose Mindset
People with a growth mindset enjoy challenges, learning opportunities, and skill development. Learning and the continuous development of one’s intelligence are hallmark features of the growth mindset. These individuals will persist in the face of difficulties, view the journey as part of the learning process, accept feedback, and view failure as an opportunity to grow. Accepting new tasks and/or adopting new behaviours are part of the growth process for such individuals. Extending the growth mindset further, is the purpose mindset.
Developing the Purpose Mindset
The purpose mindset considers how personal goals align with professional goals. The closer the alignment, the more fulfilled and likely engaged the individual will be in the workplace. The purpose mindset broadens the vision of employees to include the impact of their activities and that of the organization on stakeholders—with a commitment to make a difference in the lives of consumers and the community at large. Innovating for impact, generating socio-economic value in line with the sustainable development goals, leveraging the triple bottom line, and designing for sustainability, can all provide the needed guidance to define the larger purpose of the organization.
The Role of Leadership
Leadership will exemplify a commitment to generating positive impact through statements and actions. The ideal leader will seek to embed a culture of learning and openness within the organization. Leaders who champion the organization’s human capital, will facilitate discussions, connect experiences and knowledge, as well as create the scenario of shared leadership where employees and leaders are collectively charged with crafting the purposeful vision for the organization.
In your Context
Consider how the purposeful mindset can be leveraged in your organization:
1) How can employees view their work as having a positive impact on the lives of consumers and their quality of life?
2) How can organizations engage the larger community to generate socio--economic value including through community engagement, consideration of community health and safety, and the provision of equitable economic opportunity?
3) How can leaders embed the purpose mindset within the culture of their organizations?
Finding meaning in work and innovation is necessary to consistently engage people within and outside organizations. The greater the challenge, the greater the need to see the purpose in organizational activities.
Resources:
Dweck, C. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Ballantine Books, 2007.
How Companies Can Profit from a ‘Growth Mindset’, Harvard Business Review, November 2014.
Pontefract, D. You’re Never Done Finding Purpose at Work, Harvard Business Review, May 2016.
