Is a growth mindset really needed in an organization?

I have 5 updates for you this week.

1. On my mind

“Everything is changing fast, and growth mindset is needed at all levels of an organization.

Fixed mindset: This is what works. If I fail it's because I'm not good enough.

Growth mindset: Let's see what works. If I fail, I need to find another way that works.

When challenges or failures arise (which they inevitably will), fixed mindset people tend to give up whereas people with the growth mindset take it as learning and wanna put in more effort.

I had a team member working on a project. The first hypothesis was to try obvious things to get the desired outcome. After many months of effort, the results were not there. I sent him books, links to articles on how others had tackled similar challenges, sat down with him to share my own thoughts and insights as to what our next hypothesis might be like - so we could have another go at it. To change it up.

Instead, he quit. What he had tried didn't work, he blamed his ability, and perhaps was too afraid to try another approach.

I believe that quickly adapting and changing it up is a must.

The right answer changes over time.

What used to work, doesn't anymore. If you preach a way to get results and tie your identity to it, it's hard to get off the soapbox. This can kill you.

Before Satya Nadella took over Microsoft, it had a culture of intelligence. Whoever argued for their idea the best, won. People didn't consider other points of view. Many argue this heavily contributed to Microsoft missing the mobile revolution.

What Nadella focused on when working on culture: "The culture change I wanted was centered on delivering a growth mindset."

Inspired by Dweck's book "Mindset", he oversaw the rollout of a new management model centered around growth mindset. Microsoft turned their culture around, killed the hated stack ranking, and has been doing really well.

Having spent a good chunk of my career starting businesses (build-measure-learn) and then in experimentation, search for what works has been instilled in me.

It's not natural to everyone. I see folks get stuck on a "swipe file mindset", a key reason uniformity is so pervasive. Or folks get defensive about their ideas, dig their heels in.

It's also scary to be a contrarian and ask "what else might be possible" or "how can this be better"? In my experience, most people optimize for group belonging and to be liked over finding the best idea. It's popular to be a "yes man", I get it - everyone likes when people agree with them.

Just this morning I saw this quote by Chamath Palihapitiya in Marvin Liao's newsletter that sums up the need for growth mindset nicely:

“It’s about trying and learning. It’s a learning mindset. Things are changing so F--ing fast, the only thing I can do to stay safe is to learn how to learn because things will constantly be changing underfoot”. 

How are you approaching this in your team or organization?."

-Peep

2. New on the blog

How to grow your app startup organically with app store optimization (ASO)

How do you leverage ASO mechanics to maximize conversions? Here's how it can help you increase traffic and downloads, and get your mobile app in front of the right users at the right time.

3. Meet our Brand Marketing experts

We want to share the amazing brand architects you can expect to see in our upcoming Brand Marketing Minidegree. Check the whole line up.

PS: Get the Brand Marketing Bundle. All pre-orders for the Brand Marketing minidegree gives access to 14 of the 24 courses available now and includes our Digital Psychology and Behavioral Design minidegree for free. A match made in heaven.

4. Latest episode on "How to Win"

Tamara Grominsky, Chief Strategy Officer at landing page and conversion experts, Unbounce. We learn what to do when your category becomes a race to the bottom, why AI and machine learning should be used to help marketers not replace them, and how Unbounce built their biggest moat. I weigh in with my thoughts on the risks of competing on features, the power of taking a differentiated position in the market, and why category creation is such an attractive play.

Stay tuned on Spotify, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast!

5. How to use a phase-gate approach to test the right problems

In experimentation, It’s easy to feel like there are problems that need testing lurking around every corner. But are they problems that will be worth your time to solve? Ben Labay (Speero MD) chats to Natalia Contreras-Brown, VP of Product at The Bouqs about the phase-gate process used to ensure they are working on the right problems.

Catch this episode of Testing Insights.

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