A growth mindset and making a splash.

Nothing is more scary than starting something new. You are eager to try something different but also anxious that you may not be good at it. People are also worried about looking foolish. Finally, those who have mastered a skill make what they do look easy. Unnecessary anxiety and stress are part of the process of new beginnings and learning. My experiences confirm this observation. When I learned to roller skate, I fell more often than I remember. Likewise, I wrote lots of awful code before becoming a competent software developer. The attitude you need when starting over is called a growth mindset. Today, I want to encourage conversations about that mindset.

Being in a postmodern society means learning and knowledge are in a continual state of flux. As a software developer and agile coach, I spend plenty of time reading and learning new things. It is customary for someone in my profession to retrain every eighteen months, which translates into twenty-six times over a forty-year career. It is exhausting but necessary to remain employable.

The trouble is that learning becomes more challenging as we get older. Our experiences and biases make it more difficult to process new knowledge. It is called confirmation bias and is a big problem in the political and business community. People struggle to use new information meaningfully, particularly when it conflicts with our belief systems. This phenomenon explains why particular executives are demanding return-to-office mandates. Leaders biased toward working in an office setting can not imagine remote work being productive, so they reject evidence supporting working from home. When the evidence about remote work is inconclusive, it is easier to deny it. Our minds are not the clean slates we perceive them to be.

I am beginning a new opportunity this week and am anxious and concerned about making a difference for that organization. My biases, anxieties, and insecurities are ganging up on me. Twice, I have discussed that my layoff and subsequent training as a PMP were part of transforming into a better coach. Beginning this week, I am putting that notion to the test. Will I be able to assimilate this new knowledge, or will I fall into old habits?

The fact that I am asking this question means I am doing the necessary reflection to help avoid confirmation bias. I will be like the preteen version of myself, who often fell behind learning how to roller skate. I did not get any good until high school, when plenty of other skaters could loop circles around me. If I have a growth mindset, I will accept the bumps and bruises of doing new things. I will be uncomfortable, and it will guide me while I develop confidence and competence in my new role. I share this message with the teams I serve; now, I will experience the same emotions as they embark on their agile journey. It is just another instance of leadership by example.

I enjoy movies of all varieties, but this week, I will keep remembering Pixar’s “Finding Nemo.” At the end of the film, some fish who attempted to escape wind up in a plastic bag filled with water at the edge of a pier by the ocean. Overcome by their good fortune, one of the fish asked, “Now what?” I am like one of those fish in the bag because I am unsure what will happen next, but I know I will eventually wind up in the ocean.

It is time to make that splash.

Until next time.