The fourth and last mind-set is about realising you are in charge of your own growth and development through learning. We refer to this mind-set as ‘I learn’.
To determine if you have the right mind-set in this area read the scenario below and choose what you would do in this situation.
Dave gets invited to a meeting by a new Sales Manager early one Monday morning. He is looking for someone to help him create a really ‘wow’ presentation that will persuade an existing client to give them business in a different area.
As Dave is the expert in that area, the Sales Manager wants to know when he is available to put together the presentation and deliver it to the client. Dave’s response…
Option 1:
Acknowledge that he’s not a salesman, but prepared to give it a go in order to win business that he knows they can deliver on. He asks whether someone can coach him on presentation skills before the actual day, as he’s willing to learn.
Option 2:
Make it very clear that he is not a salesman and reiterate his job title – he’s an expert in that area. It is far too risky to trust him with this new business, as he’s pretty sure that he’ll fluff the presentation and embarrass both himself and the company.
It is quite apparent that option one is the desired mind-set. Most individuals know that this is the required response, but let’s be honest, for how many of us is this our first reaction?
Talented individuals tend to develop a fixed mind-set and are reluctant to move out of their comfort zones or risk failure. You have to develop a passion for learning so that you can explore, experiment and grow in new areas.
It is imperative that you are aware of the four mind-sets, but even more important to know which areas you need to improve. It is a conscience decision – sometimes on an hourly basis – to do what you know is better and right as opposed to what you naturally gravitate to.
In the last part of this four piece series on mind-sets we will test your understanding of shifting mind-sets through a short questionnaire.