Mindset – the key to innovation and learning
29 Aug 23
Training Services
BY Jo Bowes
People are at the heart of any organisation. Whether military or civilian, continuously developing and investing in your people will ensure the organisation’s potential is truly maximised. Take care of your people and the people will most certainly take care of the output. This will help the organisation to stay ahead of the game and outperform competitors in performance and productivity at every opportunity.
Many enablers contribute to our people fulfilling their potential, one of which is the implementation of a robust training system. A training system can be described quite simply as the document set and processes in place that help to achieve a series of stated training objectives. This, coupled together with the appropriate management and governance across an organisation, will ensure training is delivered safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
Improving training is a cyclical process. The moment we begin to stagnate is also the moment we begin to fail. Staying at the forefront of innovation, through technology and research, will provide any organisation with the tools they need to deliver the best possible service or product, improve retention and allow the intellectual capital of its workforce to grow.
Why innovate?
So why should we embrace innovation? Why shouldn’t we just continue plodding along as we have done for years because that’s how we have always approached our processes and ways of working? The answer is simple. An organisation exists to grow and be the best it can be. With new ideas and technology comes opportunities for increased productivity and better solutions to our challenges. Continuous improvement through innovation brings with it increased efficiency and cost reduction, so the question we should be asking is, why would we not want to innovate? A lack of innovation brings with it the risk of stagnation, leading to us failing to meet the needs of our employees and customers. This is while our competitors are outperforming us by maximising opportunities to improve quality, service and efficiency. The problem, though, is it’s all very well and good being aware of innovation. The real challenge is ensuring your workforce has the right mindset to adopt it, and then make it work for the organisation to grow. None of which can be achieved without a robust training system in place.
An organisation exists to grow and be the best it can be: we all need to innovate.
Grow your mind
This brings us on to the concept of having a growth learning mindset rather than a fixed one. Maybe this is something you are already aware of, or perhaps a concept you’ve heard of but don’t fully understand enough to start looking at your own mindset, or that of your workforce. Essentially, a growth learning mindset comes from an innate belief that you can develop your skills and talent at any point in your life by putting in hard work, taking advice from others and adopting strategies. Once you can think in this way, you soon start seeing opportunities rather than obstacles and feel more able to branch out of your comfort zone more frequently.
Not all of us are naturally able to think in this way, and there are times in all our lives when we can’t seem to break out of having a fixed mindset. This stops us from wanting to learn or develop, however this does not mean that we can’t change. Everyone can change and grow at any point through self-improvement.
A growth learning mindset comes from an innate belief that you can develop your skills and talent
Unlocking the door to innovation
So how do the two link together? We have already explored the idea that a growth learning mindset comes from wanting to learn and grow. Quite simply, lifelong learning fuels innovation. It allows us to generate ideas that will enable us to overcome the obstacles and challenges that stand in our way. Creating solutions while not being afraid to make mistakes and choosing to learn from failure rather than being fearful of it will ensure we remain competitive. Adopting this mindset is essential for creativity, leading to innovation and being open to embracing it.
Imagine having a whole workforce of people with a growth learning mindset. The abundance of new skills and knowledge being developed constantly would create a culture of growth, innovation, and the application of diverse ideas. All of which will help to progress the organisation leading to a feeling of inclusivity and psychological safety amongst your workforce through trust and empowerment. Equally, another factor of a growth learning mindset is our approach to receiving and acting on feedback. Promoting honest and open communications across the workforce, and taking feedback as an opportunity rather than an issue, will ensure innovation happens across every corner of the organisation.
Lifelong learning fuels innovation
Want to know more about how our Training Service Division can help develop your people and improve your training systems? Contact us direct at [email protected].
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