"The Effort Effect"

If you manage any people or if you are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read The Effort Effect. This is an article about Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck. It examines her thirty-year study of why some some people excel and others don’t. (Hint: the answer is not “God-given talent.”)

The article postulates that people have two kinds of mindsets: growth or fixed. People with the growth mindset view life as a series of challenges and opportunities for improving. People with a fixed mindset believe that they are “set” as either good or bad. The issue is that the good ones believe they don’t have to work hard, and the bad ones believe that working hard won’t change anything.

She recently released a book called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. I have not yet read it, but I ordered it as soon as I read this article. I can’t imagine not liking it.

To provide a further taste of the article and her work, here is a sidebar from the article called “What Do We Tell the Kids?” I took the liberty of adding [employee] to show the relevance of this article to business.

You have a bright child [employee], and you want her to succeed. You should tell her how smart she is, right?

That’s what 85 percent of the parents Dweck surveyed said. Her research on fifth graders shows otherwise. Labels, even though positive, can be harmful. They may instill a fixed mind-set and all the baggage that goes with it, from performance anxiety to a tendency to give up quickly. Well-meaning words can sap children’s [employee’s] motivation and enjoyment of learning and undermine their performance. While Dweck’s study focused on intelligence praise, she says her conclusions hold true for all talents and abilities.

Here are Dweck’s tips from Mindset:

• Listen to what you say to your kids [employees], with an ear toward the messages you’re sending about mind-set.

• Instead of praising children’s [employee’s] intelligence or talent, focus on the processes they used.

• Example: “That homework was so long and involved. I really admire the way you concentrated and finished it.”

• Example: “That picture has so many beautiful colors. Tell me about them.”

• Example: “You put so much thought into that essay. It really makes me think about Shakespeare in a new way.”

• When your child [employee] messes up, give constructive criticism—feedback that helps the child [employee] understand how to fix the problem, rather than labeling or excusing the child.

• Pay attention to the goals you set for your children [employees]; having innate talent is not a goal, but expanding skills and knowledge is.

• Don’t worry about praising your children [employees] for their inherent goodness, though. It’s important for children [employees] to learn they’re basically good and that their parents love them unconditionally, Dweck says. “The problem arises when parents praise children [employees] in a way that makes them feel that they’re good and love-worthy only when they behave in particular ways that please the parents.”

Here’s some food for thought: perhaps this explains the inexorable march toward mediocrity of many (temporarily) great companies. Let’s say a startup is hot. It ships something great, and it achieves success. Thus, it’s able to attract the best, brightest, and most talented. These people have been told they’re the best since childhood. Indeed, being hired by the hot company is “proof” that they are the A and A+ players; in fact, the company is so hot that it can out-recruit Google and Microsoft.

Unfortunately, they develop a fixed mindset that they’re the most talented, and they think that continued success is a right. Problems arise because pure talent only works as long as the going is easy. Furthermore, they don’t take risks because failure would harm their image of being the best, brightest, and most talented. When they do fail, they deny it or attribute it to anything but their shortcomings.

And this is the beginning of the end.

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Dr. Moira Gunn of TechNation interviewed Dr. Dweck on 3/14/06. Thanks to TomL for pointing this out.

“How Not to Talk to Your Kids” by Po Bronson is another interesting read. Thanks to Tim Ludwig for this.

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Comments

[Syven]

We can all be better parents, we can all become better leaders. That is the cool thing about a growth mindset. The fixed mindset reminds me of the robot in a Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and it is here I can congratulate the best mothers out there, for they are prime examples of have the kind of patience and love that never gives up on fixed mindsets.

Even great leaders cannot mentor a fixed mindset the way a great mother can. We don't need to read great leadership stories or books when there is plenty of learning opportunities in the home, but then again what do I know about that, when one has a growth mindset, the joy of it is contained in the discovery process.
M.

[Patrick]

I kind of see where the article is going and can see why it might work, but what is with the categorization of employees being akin to children?

Treating them like children is what gives them permission to act like children.I thought you guys were management? What gives?

[Rishabh R. Dassani]

Its amazing how most of the stuff we learn is so counter-intuitive, and sometimes we have to simply un-learn to learn.

[nemrut]

I don't know Guy, but it seems to me all this emphasis on praise in the U.S. is over-rated. It reminds me a lot of the radio show about the 'Lake Wobegone' effect where everyone is smart, beautiful and above avg.

Coming from an Asian household, I rarely if ever received praise while growing up. If anything, i was often reminded of how much i could improve. This instilled a strong drive to work hard, take nothing for granted and always look push the boundaries. This is similar to others i know with the same background.

Regardless of how you slice/dice it, focusing on praise leads to a sense of entitlement, and often, dissappointment when not enought is received. I think Americans, as a whole, would do much better in the global marketplace without the ego-stroking ethos so prevalent in our society.

[Martin Edic]

Tiger Woods comes to mind. Although obviously talented, he also works harder than anyone else and always talks about how much more he has to learn. In spite of frequently being referred to as one of the handful of top athletes in the world, he sees himself as an unfinished project.
I also think about who he hangs out with: Gretzky, Jordan, Barkley...do you see a pattern?
BTW, like an earlier commenter, I did not believe (and still don't) that I had musical talent yet I really wanted to play bass in a rock band. I got a bass and found some similar people and ended up doing pretty well. This article made me think how much I would have missed if I'd listened to that talent filter...

[Ian Harris]

Thanks for posting the article Guy. I really enjoyed reading it.

I learned guitar that way. I wanted to be naturally talented like my friends. But I wasn't! I nearly gave up. Instead, I stuck at it for years. Now I'm perfectly good because I practised so hard. It's taken me longer maybe but I got further.

I guess the real trick is: finding the right amount of praise. The article says, if you don't praise, people become demotivated and stop. Too much praise and they stop thinking they have to try.

Again: great article! Your site always turns up gems, Guy.

[iain]

* very cool ... this reads like Bob Rotella's "golf is not a game of perfect" ... focussing on the score is a sure way to fail ... focussing on the process is the way to a good score.

[Niall O'Driscoll]

The premise of this book relates directly to an article written by Alfie Kohn (http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/gj.htm) back in 2001. He has advocated this kind of approach in parenting for a long time. If you're a parent, and haven't read his stuff, I highly recommend it.

[stubsy]

I'd like to think I was of the growth mindset but just lately its seems like everything I do is doomed to fail.

No matter how much effort I put in.

[Mike]

David Shenk is writing a book on geniuses. He's posting his thoughts and articles on his blog while he assembles his book. Your post totally jives with what I've been reading over there:

http://geniusblog.davidshenk.com/

[Cathy]

I had read something similar in the New Yorker and while I've already been telling my daughter that she needs to study and practice to get better (as well as the fact that she is smart) I've ramped it up a bit and she is indeed trying harder.

I think that this theory explains a lot about why I do the things I do as well. Hopefully it's not too late to change!

[Jesse Boyes]

Definitely true! James Brown never got anywhere calling himself "the most naturally talented man in show business." ;-)

[Larry C]

"It’s important for children [employees] to learn they’re basically good and that their parents love them unconditionally, Dweck says. “The problem arises when parents praise children [employees] in a way that makes them feel that they’re good and love-worthy only when they behave in particular ways that please the parents.”

My parents had their own trick: Unlike many oriental parents, I was taught not to ace every exams when I was a kid. This way there will always be room for improvement. So no matter what marks I got, I always feel loved and I know I could always do better next time. And it worked =)

[SorenG]

Awesome Guy. Great stuff. I share your enthusiasm. I have a kid, now I just need to go find some employees :-). The relationship between identity and risk is fascinating.

I must say though that these two lines confused me a bit, and seemed to contradict.

"Don’t worry about praising your children [employees] for their inherent goodness, though. It’s important for children [employees] to learn they’re basically good and that their parents love them unconditionally, Dweck says."

Don't worry about acknowledging your children's inherent goodness, but make sure they learn they are basically good and you love them unconditionally. Huh?

[Steve Donie]

My kids go to a Montessori School and they teach us to give this kind of specific praise. There is actually a whole book called "How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk" by Faber & Mazlish. Great stuff for communicating with anyone - employees, kids, spouses...

[Paulo]

Excellent article and, most importantly, mind-bending ideas. Truly inspiring, both on how you get along with others and even more so, I think, on how you get along with yourself!

Thanks Guy, for bringing this up!

P.

[Janak Joshi]

Guy,

This establishes something that I started noticing in the past few years where our society (especially in the US) has started to recognize everyone as "special" and "outstanding" and an "over-achiever".

As children, if no one looses and no one wins (this starts from little league games) and everyone is talented and everyone is extra-ordinary - the purpose of achievement is lost and so is the motivation to be the best. I know that no matter what I do - I will be rewarded. At some point, you truely believe in this philosophy and the moment you face failure, you are devastated (The word "Prozac Nation" comes to mind). I see so many teenagers and young adults on anti-depressants and anxiety drugs. One of the reasons I have found out is because of the attitude of praising kids irrespective of how they perform.

Even the schools practice this to no end. It is almost reached a point of bizarreness (is that even a word) where a 13 year old would really suck at playing baskeT ball but his coach cannot tell him: get better - you suck and if not - you will be thrown out of the game.

Everyone has to be politically right and correct about everything and anything. Are we raising a bunch of wussies or do we want to continue to be a nation of world-class entrepreneurs? Entrepreneurs face failures more than anything else in this world and this is not a "virtue" that is currently accepted or being taught in our schools and colleges.

Anyone been to China or India recently - you will know what I mean! Imagine 10-15 years from now when we will be competition against Indian & Chinese kids who are taught to accept reality and truely understanding the meaning behind competition and ingenuity - what will happen to the little leaguers then ......

GOT COMPETITION?

[Valeria Maltoni]

Guy:

I read her book and know you will enjoy it. Especially some of the stories.

[Bil Corry]

Reminds me of the book "Punished By Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes" by Alfie Kohn.

http://www.alfiekohn.org/books/pbr.htm

Thanks for the blog.

[jon]

I completely agree with the insight presented here. Even if you are smart, at some point you need to realize that the big force driving results is a hard and committed work ethics. That thirty-year study will surely prove right what my late grandpa used to repeat me again and again: Work hard. Work Harder. That’s all it matters!
Guy, thank you very much for bringing up this article.

[Allen]

I will be attempting to use these techniques while coaching my youth hockey team. Thank you for the information. I cannot wait to read her book.

Thanks.

[Tim Ludwig]

These conclusions are well supported by research into child psychology and development going back many years. More recently, Po Bronson also wrote an excellent cover story for New York Magazine entitled How Not to Talk to Your Kids: The Inverse Power of Praise that essentially offers the same conclusions and some very interesting anecdotes.

Once you read about the strategies to put these theories into action, it just seems like common sense -- but I think that's the power of the ideas!

[Marvn]

Really good post. This is going to really make me think and maybe change the way I approach the youth I work with you. Thank you for bring this to peoples attention.

[JohnN]

I think I have personally suffered from this kind of thinking, I have can consistently through my life done well one year and not so good the second then good the third and so on and so on. Success breeds complacency and many successful people suffer from it. I think when people become successful it is because of an idea or goal they want to achieve, then when they are successful it is the fear of failure that motivates them. IMHO fear can never be a good motivator.

[Tobie Langel]

I just finished reading the article you quote. It's absolutely brilliant and mind-opening.