To achieve or to improve?

I.

On a random Tuesday (mid-work day), I found myself scrolling social media (hard to believe, I get it). I stopped on a video of pristine beach at a resort. I went on to watch another 6-8 videos on this resort’s page, all showing crystal clear beaches and 5-start resort accommodations – and then I thought “I don’t want to go there.”

Last month, I hit 10 years into my career and I’ve had many days of scrolling and envisioning floating in that resort pool instead of conducting 8 client meetings in a day.

But, I am starting to see it differently. I find myself no longer wanting to repeat the pattern: finish task, escape work. As a 32-year old man, I am realizing there is more potential in life than looking towards the end of my work day for my next brief hour of pleasure.

I want to work in a way that makes me better, not in a way that just gets the job done.

II.

This comes back to a theme I will discuss often: the growth mindset versus the fixed mindset. Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, was pivotal for me and many other to understand their own mindset and start changing.

The growth mindset understands that growth and mastery come through continued effort over time. The fixed mindset believes that success comes to those who are gifted. The fixed mindset says that achievements matter most. The fixed mindset thinks you either “have it” or you don’t and if you “have it”, you shouldn’t have to work as hard as others for it.

My biggest symptom of the fixed mindset over the years has been the belief that if I have to work hard at something, it means I’m not smart or gifted at that thing. So working hard at something brings a negative blow to my ego – it’s further reinforcement that someone else out there “has it” and I have to work for it, like a commoner.

This is an ugly manifestation of the fixed mindset and one I have been working for years to break.

A practical example from my professional life: I work professionally in sales and have to sell $2M to be considered to have a successful year.

The fixed mindset monitors the output and says that once I hit $2M, I’ve done my part. The growth mindset, however, is aware of the goal but is much more concerned with who I become in the process. How did I grow? What new skills did I acquire that I can count on for future success? Most importantly, am I proud of my character and effort?

This has lead me to start thinking differently about work (and life). That idea is: how can I do this job in a way that makes me better while accomplishing the task rather than get the job done and skate on to the next thing?

The fixed mindset likes to skate past challenge because of how fragile it is. The identity of the person carrying the fixed mindset can be shaken with any small disturbance. It’s seen often in school – a fixed mindset student can’t handle constructive criticism about their work. When the correction comes, it brings a message that says “you don’t have it” and “you aren’t good enough”.

The same feedback given to a student with a growth mindset is received as “I have a way to improve” or “making these changes will help me accomplish the goal”.

To focus on doing a job in a way that makes me better will take my death grip off the bat of needing achievements to validate myself. Instead, the growth mindset places more value on myself. It says, “This achievement matters but as a person, my character and growth are paramount.”

The growth mindset recognizes that effort and failure bring improvement. What good is achieving the $2M without also having grown my skills and confidence? If I achieve the $2M by doing only what I am good at, hiding my flaws, and fixating on the result, I am leaving so much on the table. Wouldn’t I rather focus on achieving not only the $2M, but the skills and growth that make me more likely to be able to achieve that $2M (or more) in other conditions, environments, or companies?

I would also argue that the person focused on their growth in the pursuit of a goal will often end up achieving more that the person only focused on the outcome. I believe growth is like compound interest – your skills, knowledge, and ability grows on itself.

III.

Here's how this plays out for me in a real-life example, a sales meeting with a new client.

Fixed mindset approach:

· Look good to the client (dress well, be polite)

· Treat them well so they think I’m personable and trustworthy

· Find out whether that have business and budget

· Pitch my services

· Get their commitment to do business and set next appointment

· Tell my team how well I did, hope they applaud

Growth mindset approach:

· Prep for client meeting – how can I come best prepared?

· Be early and do my best to remain undistracted, present to the meeting

· Clearly state my purpose in meeting with them

· Ask questions that lead to the real issues they are facing

· Suggest potential solutions based on my experience and my company’s capabilities

· Tell them transparently why I think it’s valuable to work with me and set a next appointment.

o This is only if I think I can actually help them. If their issues are out of my scope, be honest about that and provide an alternate suggestion.

· Debrief meeting notes to identify where I can potentially add even more value

· Share any valuable learning with my team so others can improve

In both scenarios, the goal is to sell. But the process varies greatly. While the fixed mindset is focused on getting, the growth mindset is focused on giving. The person who gives more, grows more and becomes capable of giving exponentially more as they go. The person who gives more will finish a year of work more capable and with more skill than the person who focuses just on hitting their numbers.

Conclusion 

The battle to adopt the growth mindset is real for most everyone. If we pause and think for a moment, it is apparent to most of us where our most dire need for the growth mindset is.

A daily tool I am discovering is asking myself this question, “how can I work in a way that makes me better rather than just in a way that accomplishes the task?”