Enhancing Performance Applying the Growth Mindset Principles
By Jessica Jordan, MS, OTR/L
What is the Growth Mindset?
Growth mindset is the concept that views skills as something that can be developed, rather than being innate. With practice, hard work, and intrinsic motivation people can improve their talents, intelligence, and abilities over time. Rather than trying to prove their intelligence at a given time, they understand that there's skills they can continue to improve on.
How it Works?
The human brain constantly creates and destroys neuron pathways. If a pathway is constantly being used, then it becomes stronger and more permanent. Mistakes allow the brain to learn to recognize mistakes and fix them. When the brain fixes the mistakes, the neuron pathways begins to naturally understand the correct way to perform a skill, and the more it is practiced the more permanent the skill becomes. If appropriate empowering methods are used by those in their environment, then a child's brain learns to view mistakes as a natural occurrence, and over time it can also allow them to become more receptive to feedback.
Why does it matter?
After listening to one of the Huberman Lab episode, I was really able to unpack how skill development is really tied to effort. I learned how feedback and internal narratives drive our ability to make progress. So what do I mean by all this? Well, I often believed growing up in high school that I wanted to be labeled as the “smart” student. Needless to say, that type of label can easily become attached to ones’ identity and current research finds that isn’t the best way to support students/learners/or any individual. There is growing evidence finding greater success for any individual if the praise or feedback they receive is tied to their efforts. Therefore, a statement like: “you really kept pushing through even when the problem became challenging” instead of “you are so smart in math” is much more supportive. The literature finds, the narratives we hear shape our behavior, therefore, it is critical to “reward the verbs” as Huberman shared. Link the praise to the effort, either before or after, because, as individuals, we can control the persistence and effort we put into any task.
Hearing this podcast as an Occupational Therapist motivated me immediately to change the feedback I offer to the individuals I serve and those I love. I see them as whole and see all of their efforts they apply, none of which I want to go unnoticed. I hope you can apply this to your current occupations, whether it be as a parent, teacher, boss, co-worker, or therapist moving forward.