Maintaining a growth mindset is critical for long-term business success. At Evolution Capital Partners, we understand that this mentality helps catapult the organization forward as an integral part of our team members’ professional and personal lives. When tackling new projects, for instance, unexpected setbacks can occur. However, what’s most important is how these setbacks are handled and what we learn along the way. It is with this growth mentality that our team can positively respond to change and continuously add value to our founders and investors, as well as colleagues in our community and loved ones at home.
This value, when put into action, allows our team to work cross-functionally, constantly learn new skills and face any challenges that come our way. In business, and in life, it’s easy to make decisions that you’re comfortable with—but it’s often more beneficial to take chances and try something new. This is where the real growth happens.
What Does Growth Mindset Mean?
Depending on who you ask, having a growth mindset can mean many different things. To me, it means accepting what you can learn through difficult experiences, rather than seeing the obstacles or adversities as challenges. Many professionals realize that turbulence is a natural part of business and must be handled properly. Unexpected changes are inevitable, and it is during these moments that having a growth mindset is so vital. The concept of having a growth mindset prevents us from fearing or avoiding inconveniences, while allowing us to become more resilient, adaptable and creative.
A growth mindset is applicable outside of the workplace too. I believe that starting a new hobby, developing stronger relationships with those in your network or simply having the confidence to try something new are all real-life examples of growth mindset. Regardless of the environment, growth mindset focuses on how actions are completed. Embracing the process, believing in yourself and maintaining a positive, optimistic mindset—even when things may not go exactly as planned—are all great ways to live with a growth mindset.
Why is it Important to Have a Growth Mindset?
Often, when we’re faced with the unexpected, it can cause some level of discomfort. Being able to view these unforeseen circumstances as opportunities to evolve is important. Adjusting your mindset and being able to quickly pivot truly impacts how you react to life’s surprises and also how you make important business decisions.
At Evolution, we focus not only on the process of overcoming and resolving challenges, but also embrace the learning and development opportunities that come from that process. The nature of our business oftentimes forces us to step outside of our comfort zones, accept change and push ourselves to our fullest potential. This value is important to the organization and me because it focuses on continuous improvement throughout all aspects of our lives. With this mindset, we’re able to achieve more and see the positive takeaways from all situations.
How is Growth Mindset Applied?
While trying new things can be intimidating, we must accept that failure is an essential part of the development process. For our team to positively impact our communities, everyone must be willing to persevere through tough times and say “yes” to the unknowns. This value is reflected in our team’s willingness to accept new challenges with an optimistic mindset. This comes to life daily in many forms—whether it’s starting a new project or pushing someone with an accounting background to collaborate on a sales and marketing task. By being able to embrace the process, persevere and gain new skills, we constantly see growth mindset in action at Evolution.
After spending 14 years in public accounting, taking my current role as a partner with Evolution actively pushed me into this growth mindset. It required that I take some chances and believe in myself. Since taking this leap and choosing to live with a growth mindset, I have developed significantly and gained the stamina and appetite for trying new things and taking chances that has really transformed how I view my career and life. This mindset shift has made such a positive impact in my life, personally and professionally, which is why this value resonates with me.
What are My Tips for Creating Core Values?
Creating a list of core values is incredibly beneficial for your business’ development, longevity and success. If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur who is in the process of crafting this list, I recommend that you follow these six helpful tips:
- Think about your personal ideals: Be sure you’re selecting values that align with the ideals that guide decision making and problem solving in your business.
- Anchor on the “why” of your business: Ask yourself what traits and characteristics drive your organization and are the reason why you wake up daily.
- Stick to meaningful values: Avoid “table stakes” characteristics that you hope every company values, such as integrity and honesty. Finding values that are unique to your culture and business is important if you want them to be meaningful and memorable.
- Limit the number of values: If the list of values is too long, it can become overwhelming and disingenuous. Aiming for a list of three to six values makes it easier for your employees to engage with those values.
- Be sure you’re willing to hire, fire and promote around your values: If you feel that these values are not things you want to hold your people accountable for, they are probably not the right values for your organization.
- Make the process collaborative: If executive leadership develops the values, be sure to share the values with all levels of the organization before making them official. This ensures that everyone will feel like they were part of the process and the core values selected are ones that resonate with them.
