Linda rising - the power of an agile mindset

Linda rising - the power of an agile mindset

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  The Power ofan Agile Mindset Linda Rising linda@lindarising.org www.lindarising.org
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  Disclaimer: This provocativepresentation is ideally the beginning of a conversation. It won't take long for me to tell you everything I know about cognitive psychology, although I have been reading in the area for several years now. I'm an amateur who has sufficient interest in weird topics and a strange way of connecting ideas that might or might not be of interest to you. Thank you for your tolerance and understanding of my meanderings and I hope you learn a little that might help you in your life. This is not an “academic” presentation, but those interested in more information are invited to ask me for references for any part of this talk and I will be happy to make them available.
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  Do you mostlyagree or mostly disagree with the following Intelligence is something very basic that you really can't change much. You’re born with it or not. Yes, you can learn new things, but you can't really change how intelligent you are. No matter how intelligent you are, you can always get better, sometimes you can improve a lot. Substitute any ability or talent for “intelligence.”
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  Interesting experiments Phase I: Studentswere given a very easy set of questions Then they were categorized into “effort” or “fixed” groups (about 50-50)
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  Phase II All studentsallowed to choose between: (1) a more difficult test (where they would learn a lot) or (2) another easy test (similar to Phase I) Most (~90%) “effort” kids chose (1) Most (~80%) “fixed” kids chose (2)
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  Phase III Very difficultexam given to both groups “Effort” kids worked hard, enjoyed the challenge “Fixed” kids easily discouraged
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  Phase IV All studentsallowed to choose between: (1) seeing exams of those who did better or (2) exams of those who did worse “Effort” kids chose (1) “Fixed” kids chose (2)
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  Phase V All studentsgiven easy test (similar to Phase I) “Effort” kids improved (by ~30%) “Fixed” kids’ were worse (by ~20%)
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  Phase VI All studentsasked to give advice to other students and include their scores “Effort” kids: Lots of advice and encouragement. “Fixed” kids: Very little or no advice and ~40% lied about their scores
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  Mindset – CarolDweck
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  Self-Theories – CarolDweck
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  PR on theweb New Yorker – “The Talent Myth,” gladwell.com New York Magazine – “How not to talk to your kids,” Po Bronson TIME magazine – “How to help them succeed”
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  Two mindsets: Fixed& Agile Research shows that mindset: Determines goals Reactions to failure Belief about effort and strategies Attitudes toward others’ successes
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  Two mindsets Fixed vs. Agile Ability – static, like height Ability – can grow, like muscle Goal - look good Goal - to learn Challenge - avoid Challenge - embrace Failure - defines your identity Failure – provides information Effort - for those with no Effort - path to mastery talent Reaction to challenge - Reaction to challenge – helplessness resilience
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  Mindsets in anMRI
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  Belief about yourselfaffects belief about others Those with a fixed mindset are quick to judge others based on little information and quick to stereotype Those with an agile mindset don’t ignore information about others but are less negative/positive
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  Bright little girls
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  Bright little boys
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  Organizations have amindset Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School, studied how hospitals implemented a new technique for open-heart surgery. Those who were successful saw a steep learning curve and realized it would be challenging, but worth it for quicker, easier patient. Those who were not successful saw the change as “cool” new technology, a marketing opportunity, a way to show other hospitals that they “had it.”
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  Smartest guys inthe room
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  Enron’s fixed mindset Identifyand hire “the best talent” Then continuously and ruthlessly grade, sort, fire, and promote – a process called “rank and yank”
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  We are acompany of people, not planes. That is what distinguishes us from other airlines.
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  The Southwest Culture Hirefor attitude Establish a culture of community, trust, and the “Southwest spirit” Then provide learning opportunities and continually grow people Southwest seems to have an “agile” mindset
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  Managers have amindset “Keen to Help? Managers’ implicit person theories and their subsequent employee coaching,” Peter Heslin, Don Vandewalle, Gary Latham, Personnel Psych., 2006. “Pygmalion in Management,” J. Sterling Livingston, Sept/Oct 1988 Harvard Business Review.
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  The good newsis… Mindset is not “fixed” We encourage one or the other in each other We develop one or the other in our children Research has shown that small experimental manipulations, e.g. feedback or reading an article can produce one or the other
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  You mean Idon’t have to be stupid?
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  Effort is good! Praiseeffort, strategies, process Ask about the work Instead of ignoring failure, teach others that it’s a way to learn and improve
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  Agile software development Failearly, fail often. Fail fast, learn constantly. Failure *IS* an option. Without failure how can learning happen? “Make mistakes faster.” Rich Sheridan, CEO, Menlo Innovations “Perfect is a verb.” Kent Beck “Those that fail fastest grow strongest.” Roy Singham, Founder and Chair, Thoughtworks
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  Better estimations! Typically wetend to overestimate our performance, even in the face of data from previous deliveries. Research shows that those with a fixed mindset are more prone to this tendency than agile thinkers.
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  Agile is agile Theagile mindset believes that we are *ALL* a work in progress. The agile software development process isn’t fixed. It continues to change and grow as we learn more about it. If we are lucky, this will never end because it will never be perfect. We will continue to improve as we age—just like me ! Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. Samuel Beckett, Irish poet (1906-1989) Thanks for listening!