#GrowthMindset is not who you hire, but how you lead and create the conditions that realise human potential. The idea of hiring for the right mindset, or for any other characteristic, has some flaws. The really important question is not the candidate’s fit to the culture of the team and organization, but rather the fit of the organization’s culture to the talents of the people they need to hire.
Discussions of what I refer to as “reverse cultural fit” are absent in the C-suite or in the talent acquisition departments. This is based on some dysfunctional myths about #culture, e.g., that our culture-in-action actually fits our strategy. Most cultures are more or less a reflection of top #leadership idiosyncrasies and politics rather than based on an objective strategy that defines and shapes thinking and behaviors in ways that grow the business sustainably.
Secondly, organizations don’t really have unique or consistent identities or cultures. The variation between teams within an organization is often larger than measured between two different organizations. Leaders shape culture at the micro level more than your Values website. R&D will have a completely different culture to Sales. My advice is to be much more critical about leadership and culture.
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