This is a Story About Mindset
Have you seen a nervous child learning to ride a bike? They’re in a park with nothing around but a single tree. The parent shouts, “Don’t hit the tree.” They hit the tree. Once upon a time this child was me or maybe it was you? We’ve all been there - in the role of the child and in the role of the parent. Saying don’t hit the tree seems right but what happens is that we can barely do anything but stare at the tree. It’s like there is this irresistible force drawing us towards the tree. You hit what you’re looking at. But that’s ok - because we’ve moved on. Or have we?
Even though my mountain bike friends call me the crash test dummy, I’ve got better at riding my bike but work surrounds us with things that can go wrong. Don’t be late, don’t lose the account, don’t make a mistake. Our default behaviours that are meant to protect us are sabotaging our work. Our desire to protect is limiting our potential to be a great boss. A negative mindset is even bad for our health.
To create a better workplace, we need awareness of our mindset when we manage our employees. Are you the voice in your own head saying don’t hit the tree? Are you the voice in your employees head saying don’t hit the tree?
Tip: Are you looking to Develop Your Own Manager Skills? This article includes extracts from the online training course: Managing Your Mindset
Note: This is part one in the series on Mindset: The intention is to bring more positivity to the workplace. Mindset is a fixed mental attitude that predetermines a person's interpretations of and responses to situations. There is a good reason why many people have a cautious attitude. But the key to success is how we deal with risk. People who achieve success and can remain happy in the face of adversity have a healthy mindset.
Related Resources:
Managing your mindset is a good manager manager skill. Other important boss skills include:
Positive Mindset for the Sceptics
As a recovering Chartered Accountant I’m all too aware that talking about mindset in the context of work can sound like hocus-pocus. Personally I’m not a believer in the “Don’t worry, everything will be ok” extreme positivity. I’ve got no time for false positivity and being delusional doesn’t fix any problems either. What I’m talking about is having a better way to deal with problems, and to communicate with your employees than telling them “don’t hit the tree”.
Benefits of this Series on Mindset
Better awareness of your mindset and how your mindset affects others around you will have the following benefits:
You’ll be able to identify and work around self-limiting beliefs
You’ll improve your health and happiness and
You’ll create a more positive work environment with motivated employees who take ownership for their work
In the short online course, Managing Your Mindset, I share with you how each of the above works plus I will give you some tools to recognise a negative mindset in yourself and in your employees. And I will give you a proven method to transcend negativity. Overcoming fear isn’t about ignoring fear - it’s about being afraid and doing it anyway.
Tip: Work happiness and success comes from factors such as:
Finding value and meaning in your job
Doing work you are good at
Learning and growing
Having good relationships with your colleagues
Being employable
Take the Career Success Check-Up to find out what your rating is in these areas plus get expert recommendations on where to improve.
Mindset is a Habit, Use Effective Habits Instead
We all have similar brains and minds, right? Think of your brain as your hardware – your mind as your software. What happens if your software is corrupted or you have applications that won’t run? Wouldn’t it be time to re-format your hard drive and install new ways of thinking?
Success is a State of Mind
Thoughts are things. Your mind creates everything. Whatever you think about most will show up in your life. When you think about what you don’t have – guess what? You’ll only notice what other people have.
Successful people think differently than average people. Some seem to be born with the right mindset and automatic behaviours. Others work hard to re-program their mind’s software through awareness, leveraging their strengths and learning how to bypass their weaknesses.
Take the first step to a more positive mindset with the short, online course Managing Your Mindset
P.S In the next part of this series we’ll talk about how a negative mindset is bad for your mental and physical health. And what you can do to manage work stress.
Comments:
Do you have any comments, questions or tips about managing your mindset? Please share in the comments below.