There are a lot of aspects of change management, transformation, transition, and performance improvement that revolve around growth mindset and trying to shift your business, classroom, or team to a new level of growth mindset.
If we are going to talk about this, we have to give a very real thank you to Carol Dweck for her book “Mindset”. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out on Amazon here. In the book she does a great job of defining and explaining the different types of mindset and how to work towards one or the other in a variety of situations. One of the best for clarifying the mindset differences is Trevor Ragan with Train Ugly. His content is straight up GOLD and you can find his mindset work and a whole lot more here.
While they both do a great job of explaining and teaching this content we really try to measure the outcomes that a shifting culture creates. Too many people take the great work that these two, and others, do in giving us this information and just put it on the wall or on the screen.
How do you know if it’s working? You have to measure it.
Measurable change is lasting change.
That’s why I created the Growth Culture Equation: Where the art and science of performance meet.
The Growth Culture Equation
Purpose: To measure the change in a group’s culture in the positive (+) or the negative (-).
Terminology:
Daily Growth Units (DGU): Amount of absolute or relative growth.
Daily Limiting Unit (DLU): Amount of absolute or relative limitation put on growth.
Growth Actions per Hour (GAh): Amount of actions contributing to growth per hour.
Growth Verbalizations per Hour (GVh): Amount of verbal statements contributing to growth per hour.
Limiting Action per Hour (LAh):Amount of actions limiting growth per hour.
Limiting Verbalizations per Hour (LVh): Amount of verbal statements limiting growth per hour.
*We can take all aspects and make them relative to a person or other subgroup.
**Evaluation and creation of the various actions and verbalizations is specific to each environment and is created in conjunction with the experts from The Boost Institute**
Methodology:
1) Observation and Evaluation: Observation and evaluation of the culture environment is done in order to create concepts of growth and limitations for the specific environment. This is done from both the perspective of the silent third party observer, and collaboratively with decision makers from within the group.
These are focused (but not limited to) the following areas in order to create maximum growth:
Process Factors: quantity/quality of novel ideas, self-efficacy, perceived group efficacy.
Outcome Factors: lost time, novel ideas followed to completion, novel ideas not followed to completion, profit/loss on novel ideas.
2) Education: Teaching concepts of mindset, performance, and learning occur in order to give the basis of change. These are targeted specifically to the needs of the group determined during the evaluation phase. Strategies to use the concepts that work for the specific group are collaboratively created at this time as well.
3) Implementation: A pre-determined amount of time for independent implementation of the learning and strategies occurs. The facilitator will observe some of this directly, but really we want this to be independent so that the sustainability of the actions is higher. This phase is usually around one week (seven days) long.
4) Measurement: The facilitator will then repeat the evaluation phase, now noting occurrences of the pre-determined growth and limitation actions and verbalizations.
5) Re-Implementation and Re-Measurement: These are when strategies are collaboratively re-evaluated with the clients at all levels, adapted, implemented, and measured again. Step 5 can be repeated multiple times at the discretion of the client.
**This is a short overview of how we implement this equation. More detail is available when hired**
The Equation:
Absolute Growth:[(GAh+GVh)-(LAh+LVh)]*24=ΔDGU
Relative Growth:[(GAh+GVh)-(LAh+LVh)]*24/# of People=ΔDGU/person
Using the Equation:
-The equation is designed to be used with/by a facilitator who understands the proper construction of the variables involved.
-The equation can be (and has been) modified for different time frames and extraneous factors such as profit/loss, missed time, wins/losses, etc.
-The equation operates on a 24 hour basis as a norm. This helps to account for factors beyond the “typical” work day/practice schedule/etc.
Below is an example of plotting the overall ΔDGU and demonstrating growth over time.
It is important to note that there is commonly a short phase of adjustment or “dip” like we see around mid-April/May. This is due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the need to hire/fire, change budgeting, or simply adjustment to the new learning.
