How to Reinforce Winning Strategies

Lindsay Roberts, MA, CC-AASP

Mental Skills Trainer

Our mindset impacts how we learn.

Knowing what mindset we and others fall into can allow us to reinforce or change it.

Being an effective coach, leader, and player relies on us continuing to learn and grow.

Identify a great performer

List 10-12 characteristics about the great performer

Determine whether each characteristic is an attitude, skill, or gift

Mindset sources:Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset. New York: Random House.Dweck, C.S. (2007). The secret to raising smart kids. Scientific American. (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-secret-to-raising-smart-kids)Dweck, C.S. (2008). Boosting achievement with messages that motivate. Education Canada, 47(2), 6-10.Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Intelligence praise can undermine motivation and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 33-52.

Fixed Mindset

Skill set is

fixed

Growth Mindset

Skill set is

developed

Those with a fixed mindset keep using the wrong strategy when faced with a problem.

Then they disengage from the problem.

Finally, they give up.

People adopting a growth mindset tend to generate other, and new, ways to do things.

If one route doesn’t work they will try others.

They will think ‘outside of the box’ to solve problems because they believe that they ‘can’.

Fixed Mindset

Goal: Looking strong is most important

“The main thing I want to do is show how good I am at

soccer.”

Growth Mindset

Goal: Learning is most important

“It’s more important for me to learn things than it is to get the most playing time.”

Fixed Mindset

Effort: negative

“When I have to work hard at soccer, it makes me feel like

I’m not very smart or talented.”

Growth Mindset

Effort: positive

“The harder I work at something, the better I’ll be

at it.”

Fixed Mindset

Helpless!

“I’ll spend less time on this from now on.”

“I’m not doing this anymore.”

Growth Mindset

Resilient!

“The harder I work at something, the better

I’ll be at it.”

“I’ll practice better and work harder next time.”

When someone fails or underperforms, how do we respond?

“Man you are dumb as a rock!”

What is the goal of effective criticism?

When someone succeeds or performs exceptionally well, how do we respond?

“Great job!”

What is the goal of praise?

Can move a mindset from growth to fixed.

Encourages young people to focus on outcome goals and display a helpless response when faced with challenges.

Undermines motivation and willingness to take risks.

Fosters a growth mindset.

Encourages people to create process goals.

Allows for a skill mastery approach.

Increases motivation, success, and a willingness to take chances.

A growth mindset helps people to be motivated and to succeed.

A growth mindset can be adopted.

Effective praise and criticism is one way to foster a growth mindset in others.