No matter how open minded we are, or how broad we consider our horizons to be, our thinking is limited. We have fixed views about ourselves, the world, and life. Yet, our work cultures consistently ask that we act ‘out of the box’. Here are some unique practices to help you do that:
- Choose process over results. American entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, success leaves clues. How? In the process. It’s the battle between outcomes and the process. And in a Harvard Business School study, process won. They found that overemphasizing goals — and especially those that are based on measurable outcomes — often leads to reduced intrinsic motivation, irrational risk-taking, and unethical behavior. Participants ended up focusing on external rewards, and also felt confused around their sense of purpose.
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Focusing on the process cultivates what University of Quebec psychology professor Robert J. Vallerand calls ‘harmonious passion’ – a love for doing the work involved in achieving a goal. It’s the opposite of ‘obsessive passion’ – being attached to the external recognition that achieving a goal might bring. Vallerand has shown that while the latter is linked to burnout, anxiety, dissatisfaction, and depression, the former is linked to long-term performance, well-being, and fulfillment.
. - First quantity. Among the 50 greatest pieces of music ever created, six belong to Mozart, five are Beethoven’s, and three Bach’s. But, to create those, Mozart wrote over 600 songs, Beethoven 650, and Bach over 1,000. And not all of them were award winning.
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The goal: plant more ideas and projects, harvest few. To innovate, be creative, and consistently stay ahead of the market/ industry curve, do more. Practice more. And quality will follow, as you’ll be able to filter the best skills/ approaches. For example, the Toyota Corporation in-house suggestion scheme generates over 2 million ideas a year. Over 95% of the workforce contributes. The most remarkable statistic: 90% of the suggestions are implemented.
. - Adopt the Pygmalion effect. What is it? Being influenced by other people’s expectations of you. The higher the expectation, the better the performance. The opposite is true as well.
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Psychologist Robert Rosenthal conducted a study in schools, where he led teachers to believe that certain students in their classrooms had been identified as ‘intellectual bloomers’ – children who would show extraordinary performance. In reality, some students were randomly designated as intellectual bloomers. However, these students did indeed show higher academic achievement. Why? Because studies showed that teachers unconsciously gave them more positive attention, and learning opportunities. Teachers could ‘nonverbally’ communicate their positive expectations.
Remember our article about a growth mindset? That’s what we are inviting here. Believing that you can learn to do things differently, is the first step towards doing so. How would you like to shift your thinking? Share your ideas with us.
