What is the benefit of a Growth Mindset in embracing Agile Ways of Working? - Joanna Koprowicz, Agile-Lean Ireland

In today's fast-paced and constantly changing business landscape, companies must be able to innovate quickly and adapt to new challenges. Agile methodologies are becoming increasingly popular as they offer a flexible and iterative delivery method. However, a growth mindset can be the missing link that elevates the effectiveness of Agile ways of working.

A growth mindset is a belief that intelligence, skills, and abilities can be developed through hard work, dedication, and continuous learning. It contrasts with a fixed mindset that assumes that these qualities are innate and unchangeable. In an Agile environment, a growth mindset can empower individuals and teams to embrace challenges, experiment with new ideas, and learn from failures.

This talk will explore the benefits of a growth mindset in an Agile ways of working. We will discuss how a growth mindset can foster innovation and creativity, promote collaboration and communication, and enhance the ability to respond to change. We will also provide practical tips and strategies for cultivating a growth mindset within teams, such as seeking feedback, embracing challenges, and celebrating progress.

Joanna Koprowicz

Joanna is a passionate Agile Enthusiast who has made it her mission to bring positive change to a wide range of organisations and sectors. With a strong background in business and technology, Joanna has developed an impressive career in consulting, coaching, and leadership development, helping start-ups and multinational corporations alike to reach new heights.

Joanna's work has spanned many industries, including the Financial Sector, the Travel Industry, Aviation, E-learning, and Gaming. Her focus is always on helping teams to grow and improve, delivering work on the next level and creating sustainable, highly-efficient teams.
In addition to her work as a consultant and coach, Joanna is a professional coach and one of the co-organizers of Agile-Lean Ireland Community. She has also helped to coordinate Agile-Lean events internationally, including the Global Scrum Gathering in Vienna.

Joanna's academic background includes a Masters in Project Management from University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Business School. She has also earned numerous Agile certifications and is a provider of Agile and Lean training and consulting to clients of Enterprise Ireland, IDA, and the Local Enterprise Offices. She is authorized by the International Consortium for Agile to run the certified ICP-AHR (Agile HR) and ICP- LEA (Agile Leadership) trainings.

Find us here: www.agileleanireland.org

Transcript

So I'm Joanna kokovic. I'm one of the ally organisers. And very you are very welcome to this, to to this, to this session. I am a Nigel coach. I'm also a professional coach, so that growth mindset come a little bit from coaching professional coaching. But personally I think it's very useful, very beneficial. That's why I would like to share. It with you so. What's a growth mindset? Growth mindset. It's a concept popularised by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck in her book mindset, the new psychology of the success. And before actually we we we go and try to define what that concept stands for. Let's do a brief exercise. So in the chart, if you could put thumbs up if it's, you know, thumbs up is for a growth mindset or thumbs down, it's so for fix my set. What? You know what the statement. Where would you classify the statement? I need to avoid making any mistakes. Where do you think is it? Is it global? Is it or? Fixed mindset. Another statement feedback will help me learn. Another I just need to try. Again, turns up for growth mindset or turns down fixed mindset. And even if you don't know, try to guess. This is good enough. Any any suggestion? OK, I'm not good at maths. Or I already know it. We will figure it out. I wonder who would help us. Or who could help here? It will never work here. I'm not a leader. We tried it before and it didn't work. Whilst we did it. So this is, you know, constructive mental constructive, sorry, not constructive. So we are focusing on negatives. So one we do this. You know, the next problem will come up. And then you know. We will need to do this and we'll have more work, so the focus is. Negated is it? You know growth mindset or fix mindset. I will improve with practise. We will never get there. Mistakes helping me help help me learn. We manage before. We'll need to learn new skills, but we can do that. And is this my best work? Right. So please let in March and one more actually once we will do this, we might find a solution to potential future issues. So it's a constructive. So it's focusing on a constructive on positives. Yeah. So, thanks very much to everybody who participated. We won't be discussing the answers because I think the. Answers will be. Revealed as we go through the course, you will find out what, what, what that is and you will be able to to validate yourself. So we will start with the fixed money set. So fixed mindset is a belief that our, you know, skills, our abilities, our talents. We are born with them and we cannot change them. So we were born with that set and that's who who? You know who you are. And people with fixed mindset, they, you know, tend to be more risk averse and they avoid challenges. Because those can expose, you know, expose. They are getting easily. Discouraged and give up quickly. You know, in the face of setbacks or implement problems, obstacles. Because they see it as the evidence, it cannot be done. So the moment they they they face something it's, you know, it's a proof. No, it cannot be done. And then we have on the you know, on the other side, we have a growth mindset. So it's a belief that our abilities and talents can be developed and improved with time and hard work and and you know, so if we learn and if we dedicate ourselves and apply ourselves, we can, we can master the skill. So we are, that's the position that we believe we are in control and we have a choice for action or inaction. So in action is also an action if we decide to do nothing, not to grow, not to develop, not to learn, not to progress. It's also a choice, our choice. And brain, like any other muscle, needs to be used and challenged to grow. And more, we practise more Connexions in brain we establish, and that's why there's a belief more you practise better, you get. So the belief is. If you're not good at something, it means you didn't practise enough. You have to put more work into it. You have to repeat it more frequently. And people with a growth mindset, they tend to be more positive, optimistic, resilient, persistent, motivated in face of challenges because they find challenges. It's like a task. Can I do it? I have to just use my brain to figure it. Out how to achieve it? How how to get there? And they also find, and that's very interesting. They see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. They do not see failure as a reflection on their abilities. And they are more likely to take risks, you know, try new things and pursue their goals with sense of purpose and passion. And you know, if you look at some, some successfully no successful entrepreneurs and Elon Musk probably comes to the mind. The most, but you know they can fail some time after time, time after time and they still persist because they they believe they can. So depending on which mindset we operate in, it can influence the way we go or grow or you know, do not develop or do not grow and it impacts our actions. So now the question for everybody is, can you have both a growth and fixed mindset at the same time? And that's if you could type in the chat. I would. I would, you know, probably, yes. No answer is enough. But if you want to put the full sentence for but can you have both a growth and fixed mindset?

I will have.

A look at the chart. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yeah. Hey so I think we have consensus here. We can have, you know, our mindset can change by the day, by the skill, by the by the project, by the moon, you know, probably by by the moon phases as well. But it's it's season. So one day you can feel. Yes, I can do that another day. You can feel never. Excuse me, brother. So yes, it's natural and that's why it's so important that we are self aware, because the moment we are self aware we can do something about it, we can correct the actions. My apologies for that. There is a there is a quite useful acronym back called Back, so it might help you to remember. Belief leads to action and that leads to growth. So depending if you believe I can do it, I can do it. I manage before. I will do it again. Yes, we are smart. We can figure it. Out it will lead to an action. Let's try to think and brainstorm. Let's do something about it and then it will lead to growth. So, you know, believe it's like a fuel if you believe you can, you can. And then you know the the action is absolutely the key to the growth because we've. Time and patience and effort and experimentation and hard work you can get there if you take action. So growth mindset, you know having that belief ignites and people, you know, teens, people who are having that belief, that positive outlook, they are more likely to Start learning, experimenting and trying something you know they they will they will be open to try something. Learn from it and then maybe change it. Adjust, but they will be open to try it. They will build resilience so. If they in the face of impediments or difficulties, they will think, OK, what can we do now, how to what's next step? They will be focused on overcoming that, that impediment, that problem, rather than, you know, seeking evidence. This is not working. They will think how to make it work rather than not. This doesn't work and. Finding the reasons why this cannot work. And they will also, they will also believe this is only a temporary set. So this is, you know that there is a, you know after day after night is a day and we need to just persist and try it again again again until. We get there. And people also growth mindset in general. They're hungrier, hungrier. You know, they their level of ambitions and hunger for success is higher. So they want to, you know, they they, they they want to drive forward. With a fixed mindset. It's a little bit different story, so it's it's nearly in a polar well, it's not nearly. It's practically a polar opposite of of growth mindset. So people who are fixed minded very often, they're more, they're motivated, they are less likely to start, you know, learning and trying something. Experimenting because you know, we tried already and didn't. Work. You know, we you. This will never work here because and they are so energy so focused, you know, they so focused on finding why this cannot work. They will find. You know all the energy goes in. It and it and they, you know, they they do not have an engine then left to try and actually prove the the the other you know the the On the contrary. They also give up easily because they do believe that you know the starting point, the mental starting point is not. This won't work. So the moment they face the impediments. They, they, they, they feel overwhelmed. They feel yes, you know, like we we we cannot do it this. Is this only? Proves this is not doable like why to bother? And sometimes also people fixed minded are beheaded. So they believe that, yes, I'm successful. I've done it. You know, that's I know how to do it. We, you know, we smart enough. We don't have to improve, we're. Good enough, this is, you know this. Is this is this is this is it? There is no time to to to spend more or there's no benefit to it to learn and develop. Further or improve further. Growth comes from growth mindset, so that positive belief I can do which leads to positive action and then what development growth comes. From and then On the contrary, if we have this negative mindset, I can do, it won't work. We probably won't take action. Or the action will take will be less committed and then it leads to stagnation, so no growth. Any any anybody will have any questions so. Far on it. Hey, I guess violence. It's it's a no. OK. So the question is, what is the benefit of a growth mindset in embracing agile ways of working? And now I have a question. Second, because the idea was I want to see how many people we have 10 people. The idea was to put everybody into breakout rooms and discuss that. So you can you can you can network a little bit and you can discuss you know you can then reach your network. And so you have that support group, so you can discuss it with other people. So please tell me this put put in the chat. If you would like to do it or not, it will go to the majority. So yes or no or thumbs up, thumbs down, whatever you prefer. But give me some feedback in in chat if you would like to go to breakout rules for probably around 5 minutes. No, no. OK. OK, it's a it's a now that's that's fine. So let me share my screen again. Can somebody please validate? You can see it. Great. Thank you very much. Yeah. So what is the benefit of a growth mindset in embracing agile ways of working a worth reflection? I will give you. Already answers, but that's only part of it, so there is definitely more to it. So teams and people, team members who have a growth mindset, they will continuously improve and learn and they you know, the team members will be more focused on prioritised work and they will focus on the near future rather than overthinking. In general the big picture. They will have in mind that, you know, let's do one step and we'll figure out the next one when we are on that journey. The teams are more adaptive, so yes, they made one step second step. Both the some impediment, some challenge, some bump on the road. OK, let's figure out how to how to approach it now and they will adapt to it and they will progress with work further. The team members who you know are, you know. You know the team who who has a growth mindset will be. It is with trying new ways of working and I on purpose didn't put it here. Agile ways of working because it's not about agile. It's about trying something new, improving so they will be reflective. They will think they were like, OK, this doesn't work. What can work and they will be constantly trying to improve and search for that better ways of. You know new new way of working and even. In face of OK, let's throw our job. Even if it was mandated, you know, you might have people with fixed minded who will be like that will never work. We tried before, you know, and finding the reasons why this cannot work and then people of growth mindset, we're like, OK, give it a chance and see, we will try. It we'll do our best. And let the. Evidence, you know, tell us. Tell us the other story. And you know, we I already mentioned it. So team members will be getting better and better. Teams will be constant continuously improving. They will be focused on solution and they there is a belief there's always a solution. So it's just it might be hard to find how, but there's always a way to find it and you know there's. Always way forward. And it's very interesting interestingly because. Ajax highlights when you start doing Aja. Agile will highlight the issues within within teams within organisation, so having growth mindset will definitely allow the teams to to positively adapt and find weight forward. So with you know when you start, when you start agile is working, you might start, you know the problems will start surface. And then people with growth mice and we're. Like, OK, so how? Are we going to deal with it? What are we going to do about it? How are we going to? Resolve and so on and so on. So there are loads of loads of. Benefits of having growth mindset and I believe you know it's very important for team leaders to realise it and. Work with the teams on developing growth mindset is a skill like any other skill, it needs time and practise to be developed. Starting point is the self-awareness, so about me, but also looking at our team, are we actually looking at positives, are we looking how to make it happen or actually are we presenting a fixed mindset also? Yes, we can change. Team members can change. So we have to remember on one team. You might have. A few people who will be on that particular day more uplifted and presenting growth mindset and then some people who will be presenting more fixed mindset. So being able to discuss it and think what's happening, why, you know why you know, so people, the team is self aware. Which direction they are? They are going heading, I think it's very, very useful for any team leader or school master. And then another exercise that I had planned, but you don't want to do it, so it's OK. It's to discuss examples when you presented a growth mindset and situation, when you presented a fixed mindset. So I actually because, you know, learning is about reflection, so. I would actually like. Ask you to take literally one minute and think for yourself. When did you present it? A growth mindset? What's the situation? But still our professional recently that you show a growth mindset? And when was the situation that you actually presented fixed mindset to just help you to realise it? That and the team, you know, the group that you are all together in one room, you can discuss it as well together if you want. But I will pause here. Or think it like for for a minute later for a minute. I will give you a break to. Think about it. You know how to how to change. You know that it's it's very important to be aware because the moment you are aware, you can actually change that. So you know how to rephrase it, and it's sometimes it's a matter of just rephrasing. It we don't have time for that. We'll make time for that. Can we make time for that? Or till eggs will not like this or they don't want to do that or they they will. You know, they they they won't be happy with that change. So let's cheque with the Timex. How we can make it work? Eh, we've done this before and it didn't work well. Let's do what we can now and leave the worry about future problems for later, or it can be we've done this before and we've learned something, so make sure we will, you know, get lessons learned from that learning and progress from there. We tried the change with their team before. So let's cheque with Team X. How we can make it work? Let's do what we can now and leave the worry about the future problems for later. Sorry, that's exactly sorry. That's that's the same I didn't notice. Sorry we tried before. Let's find out what needs to be improved. And you know, we tried the change with the team before. Let's find out what didn't work and build on it. So there was no. So sometimes it's matter of just rephrasing the the the sentence. The partners don't work in other way that we can't either. Well, you can say the partners don't work in larger way. So let's focus on what's within our control what? We can do. And then we'll, we, we'll worry about them later. Though sometimes it just you know it it matter of like if you aware of what's happening then you can rephrase, refrain and that you can see the benefit of it then. And so just, you know, summarising. People or teens environments who are fixed minded in general there is this kind of atmosphere or I cannot be bothered. The changes in overwhelming. Figuring out things. It's very scary and there's lots of focus on negative thinking. What's not working, what cannot be done, while it will never work, those in our teams or people are reluctant to learn. They are afraid to fail because that will prove they were right. It cannot be done and it will show. Maybe somebody will think they have no skills or things like that. Also, if you are with the team that. The moment they stuck, they they they give up, they. So sorry, I had to let somebody else at the moment they they they hit and they you know impediments and problems they give up that's another sign that might be a team with the fixed mind. If you could mute yourself, whoever is unmuted, I would appreciate it. Thank you. And you know, they also like when people say like ohh, you know it's they they do not challenge the status quo. It is what it is, you know, and that's the way we work here. And that's the way it has to be, you know, that's that's also another sign of a things mindset. And then on the other hand. Their organisations teams, people who have growth mindset, they will embrace the opportunities, opportunities to learn and and they. They will find those appointments exciting because then exciting journey of Discovery, exciting journey of learning, something of figuring out and coming out. Coming up with solution. They will celebrate trying, so it's not only about, you know, the the outcome, it's also about the effort and they will celebrate that. They believe they can do it, they can learn it. They just need to find out, figure it out, what skills they need, what needs to happen and so on. They are very much focused on resolving those problems. And effort is part of the journey, so this is linked with celebrating trying so they know with time they will figure it out. They will fail and fail and fail 1000 times. For example, like any other inventors, but they will get there. And they will focus very much on on what can be done and those minute steps, you know, step by step will figure it out. And also it's worth mentioning that top class performance they said very ambitious goals and they fail they you know they those those are. You know those are desires, you know. They are very. Often stretched goals. So it's very hard to achieve them if not impossible. And they're not afraid to, to, to, to, to fall short. They they're not afraid to fail because they know they are learning from that journey. So it was still a winner. And that's pretty much on my part. We will have a few questions, but before we go. To the questions. I would like to invite you to to the next Ali meet up. This is Ali recommends. So this is this is. Organised by our friends with another organisation that we are friends with and this is in person, meet up in in Dublin and you can find the details on our meet up page. OK. I guess no questions. So that's pretty much it on my part. If you ever you know would like to discuss the topic in more details or you would like to give me some feedback on that presentation. I very much would encourage you to connect. Me and the team that is all, all all in one room. I very much would encourage you to do some exercises and have a thinking about it and discussions a random question. I posed there. Because, again, reflection brings awareness. Awareness can bring the change. So this is, you know, this is this is the sequence. Anyway, thanks very much for your time.

Thank you very much.