From the course: Nano Tips for Talking about Race at Work with Benjy Kusi

What is the difference between growth vs. fixed mindsets?

From the course: Nano Tips for Talking about Race at Work with Benjy Kusi

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What is the difference between growth vs. fixed mindsets?

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- Hi, Benji here. And this is the difference between a growth and a fixed mindset. It's important to understand what the difference is, as talking about race requires a growth mindset rather than a fixed one. Psychologist Carol Dweck first explored the idea of fixed and growth mindsets in her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success." Put simply, people who believe that their skills and talent can be improved upon through hard work and practice have a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset means that you're open to experiencing setbacks and appreciate them as learning opportunities rather than failures. While a fixed mindset does see setbacks as failures that reflect the permanent extent of one's abilities. This means that people with fixed mindsets are more likely to stick to what they know and are good at, making fixed mindset detrimental if we're trying to have conversations about race. Having a fixed mindset makes us more likely to avoid such conversations if we're scared that we don't know enough to engage. We may also punish ourselves if we get things wrong in a way that discourages us from trying again and avoid pushing ourselves further than is comfortable to learn more about experiences that aren't our own. Which is why we need to have a growth mindset instead. A growth mindset reminds us that it's okay to not know things, as long as we're open to learning and doing better. It also gives us the confidence to engage in difficult conversations and be introspective about the biases we hold. No one has a growth or fixed mindset all of the time. We fluctuate between these states depending on context and throughout our lives also. But it's important to understand the difference between these two approaches so we can identify their influence and try to shift the perspective.

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