2 Mindsets That Make (Or Break) People
There are basically two fundamental mindsets you can have.
Developmental Mindset
Someone with a developmental mindset believes that hard work builds skills and that skills are the fundamental tools for success. Sure we each have talents and are predisposed to natural advantages, but hard work and deliberation are powerful multipliers that propel people to constantly outperform themselves.People with this world view spend their time ensuring that they are the dumbest person in the room and that they are constantly redefining themselves as slightly improved versions each day.
Fixed Mindset
Someome with a fixed mindset believes that they were born with a innate traits that equip them for success. Sure we can each work hard to achieve things, but being a genius or a prodigy far outperform any efforts one could endure to reach success.People with this world view spend their time ensuring that they are the smartest person in the room and that they are constantly asserting their pre-existing brilliance to anyone who will listen.
2 Minute Action
Which are you?Commit to making a 1% improvement today and choose something small, or ask someone for feedback, today.It only has to take 2 minutes.Remember, you get to choose which of these mindsets you believe.
Why You Should Learn To Micromanage
Somehow, somewhere, the term “micromanage” got a bad name.If you have a team or confident experts, yeah, sure, micromanagement is a poor strategy, but what about the opposite?
How can micromanagement make sense?
If your new hire is low in skill and also low in confidence, you may need to use micromanagement to get them to proficiency.They need job knowledge first, which can require hand holding and frequent check-ins. A high level of accountability and transparency will also help make expectations clear and failures/successes visible.Gaining job knowledge will lead to successful completions of tasks and projects which will lead to opportunities for praise which will lead to increased confidence.To be clear: I’m NOT saying micromanagement is the answer to all management issues, it’s just a tool in the tool-belt of a competent manager.
2 Minute Action
Who is someone on your team or in your life who needs support, coaching, or feedback?Categorize them, here. Are they high or low in confidence? Are they high or low in skill/job knowledge?If they are high in both, consider using a hands-off approach.If they are low in both, consider using a micromanagement approach.
3 Characteristics Of Rock Star Teammates
Stop hiring for specific skills.Hiring this way almost always overlooks the three most important traits of a strong candidate.There are 3 things that good managers hire for.Of course, sometimes, you really do need a highly trained skill set. There's just no amount of positivity that will substitute for an expertly-trained brain surgeon--but unless you need a super specific, high-stakes skill like this, you're much, much better off starting at these 3 traits:
Aptitude
Do they have the ability to learn and execute the skills they need to be successful?
Attitude
Do they make others around them feel confident, capable, and like excellence is possible? No one can sustain this all the time under all circumstances, that's just faking it. We're just looking at most of the time. What's their common thought habit?
Cultural fit
Culture is not the ping-pong table, the nerf guns, nor the Keurig. Culture is how you treat others when it's hard, when you're tired, and when you're frustrated. Cultural fit on a high-performance team is "do you believe what we believe?" "Do you have similar values as shown by your actions?"Finding these three traits will lead to capturing the right people. Training, mentoring, and supporting them are the things that will keep them with you.
2 Minute Action
Quickly list a few traits of your high-performers.What are the characteristics that make them successful? Pick 3-5.Now rank your other teammates on a 10 point scale for each of these 3-5 characteristics.If anyone is below a 6, you should schedule time to identify/discuss and solve this.Reviews do NOT need to be annual. Make it happen, today.