Growth is hard. It’s uncomfortable to dangle in the darkness of ideas you don’t fully understand, to fail at something you have yet to master, or to even find the time to learn new processes. It requires making yourself vulnerable.
As a project management trainer, I’ve seen all types of attitudes towards learning and growth: the curious thrill seekers that just dive right into uncharted territory, the shy learners that need to know it’s safe before truly engaging, and at the far end of the spectrum, the resistant types that need to be convinced. The first two have the growth mindset, they are ready to learn (or will be with a little coaxing). The resistant types, however, have locked the gates to their brain and new knowledge has little chance of breaking through.
If someone doesn’t think there is a need to learn something new, well guess what? They won’t. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do I believe these people are capable and intelligent enough to grow? Yes, everyone is, but they must make a fundamental change in philosophy. They must not only believe they are capable, but also believe in the need for the change. It reminds me of that old psychiatrist joke, “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb? The lightbulb must want to change.”
Being a volunteer organization, SVPM seems to attract people with a growth mindset. They want to learn. They want to try new things. Combine that motivation with the supportive environment SVPM provides, it’s astonishing how quickly people master new skills, take on new responsibilities, and gain the knowledge and confidence to thrive in an Agile environment.
If you want to grow, learn, and explore the limits of your potential, mindset is everything. To paraphrase the great George Clinton:
Free your mind and your butt will follow.
I find myself generally falling into the ‘shy learner’ category but once I see and feel the fruits of those learnings I become the cheerleader for those in the ‘curious thrill seeker category’ and thank them for paving the way.
Becoming a volunteer Developer in the SVPM Community has given me the courage to want to continue my Agile Learning journey and expand my growth mindset. Thanks SVPM for being the supportive and great organization that you are.