Business Mindset
In March we are focusing on our mindset ( it really sounds cool as a title “march mindset”). Many people today throw the word “mindset” around as an ambiguous term to mean the same as emotional state, feelings, or even thought process.
To really dive into this upcoming months topic, I turned to the experts at the Arbinger Institute. Their work in the area of mindset is really revolutionary and has drastically changed the way I interact with clients, my colleagues, and my family. Above all, becoming a facilitator for mindset training has become the most impactful training, personally, I have ever completed.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when we say the word mindset? Some people say it is how people interact with one another or how they act in response towards a situation. These are only partially true. In its most simplest terms, it is our perception or how we see other other people. Think of it as a lens of how we see our colleagues, family, relationships, bosses, and any other person you basically come into contact with. Mindset is the foundation of how we perceive others and shapes how we interact with them.
The tricky thing about it is its ever persistent tendency to change in an instant. According to Arbinger, all people are in constant flux between two mindsets:
inward and outward
These two opposing sides are in constant struggle with one another and can sway in an instant between the two. If this sounds a little out there, let’s share an example:
You have an employee who you just caught with something in their hand (lets say its something you sell) walking out the door? You have been on great terms with this employee and they have worked with you for years. What is your first reaction, anger, resentment, rage? Consider this, do you know anything more about this situation, what are the facts, and what made you react this way? This is a great example of how mindset can greatly influence our behavior.
Over the next few weeks we will be discussing inward and outward mindset as it pertains to your business. So to kick us off I recommend you do two things:
- Take the Arbinger Individual Assessment to see where your mindset is right now
- Start reading Leadership and Self Deception to grasp a foundation for mindset
Very important note, mindset is a journey and not a destination. Achieving an outward mindset is not something you will ever reach permanently. The goal is to become self aware so that you recognize when your mindset goes inward, and then know how to shift it back to outward.
