The one thing we can rely on in life is that there will always be change. This is ever more apparent in the world of work, especially considering the current climate and the repercussions that come with it. So let’s not even get started on Prime Ministers!
However, change is the thing that most of us dread, as with it comes uncertainty and a lack of control. When we feel out of control, stress levels rise, and confidence dips for some.
Then how can we get good at managing change? By applying a growth mindset. So that was the session Lead Laughologist, Laura Drury, delivered for some graduates at NatWest in October.
But what is a growth mindset? Put simply, it’s a thinking process, a way of becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable and open to new experiences and challenges. If you have a growth mindset, you believe you won’t know whether you can do something unless you try.
The opposite is true for a fixed mindset; you either can do it or you can’t, so what’s the point in trying?!
We all have both and often can flit from one to the other in situations, but some tend to be more growth mindset than others. If you’re someone who doesn’t mind taking risks, then you’re more likely to have a propensity for growth.
At the start of the session, we spent some time discussing and understanding what motivates our brains to better understand how different mindsets are created. Next, there was an opportunity to discuss in groups what fixed mindset language and behaviours everyone personally experienced and noticed around them. Creating awareness of our thinking processes is the first step to changing them.
However, awareness is only half the battle because fixed mindsets are habits, and habits are the automatic responses we resort to at times of stress. To change our habits, we need to apply curiosity by asking the right questions, listening to learn and understand, removing judgement and having a go. These all take practice!
It’s also about reflecting on what didn’t work well—then embracing mistakes and applying what we’ve learnt. Laughter helps us to create connections and boost trust. When we trust the people around us, we feel safer admitting mistakes.
You must admire graduates who spend six months in one business area before moving on to the next. Then, just at the point where they feel at the top of their game and their confidence grows, they are thrown back into the learning pit as they face new challenges and fresh uncertainty.
Therefore, Laughology regularly delivers growth mindset training and FLIP it Thinking to build resilience sessions for NatWest Graduates to prepare them every step of the way.
