The idea is that having an intrinsic growth mindset leads to a high curiosity quotient and a high level of drive. On the contrary, the fixed mindset is one of stagnation, driven by a need to feel competent and safe.
In one of her presentations she cited a school that handed out a grade labeled as NY, which stood for “Not Yet.” Dweck marveled at the concept. Handing out NY grades encouraged kids to continue to learn. Not Yet gave them hope and helped them to realize that they are in fact on the right track.
The power of Not Yet is enormous. It means that we have to keep pushing to achieve what we want. It signals that we have a lot more ahead of us. Unfortunately, much of what we do today and how we parent is subjected to what Dewck calls the “tyranny of now.”
This can be seen when a father (much like me) is more focused on his kids playing time in the moment. Or, when a boss gets ticked off because the email blast they ran an hour ago provided no click through. Whatever the example, the epidemic we find ourselves in is the “tyranny of now.”
A new generation of people is emerging – Generation Z. They are a lot different than Millennials. Influenced by the Great Recession and 911, the cosmetic nature of social networks does not resonate with them. They crave real experiences and care less about what people think of them.
There are a couple of morals to the story for marketing minds. We cannot fall prey to a fixed mindset. We must embrace the concept of real and sincere engagement. A culture of constant learning is the cornerstone of marketing and, as the landscape of a market changes, the learners are the ones best positioned to succeed.
Regardless of the intrinsic mindset, the fact our largest generation yet is more concerned with real-world experiences should be enough to prompt marketers to embrace the sincerest form of connecting and let go of the “tyranny of now.” Short-term technologies are not going to teach us anything about the marketplace. Why? They can be sniffed out from a mile away.
Crafting stories through real conversation and discussion is a tool for the growth mindset. Using the publishing process to learn and create real-world experience is powerful. So, while you may not have a trusted relationship with the marketplace, or even a robust understanding, using the content creation process moves you closer.
In other words, publishing embraces the power of Not Yet.
