The experiments in “growth mindset” were primarily done on children in the beginning and it was observed that intelligence does change in children and fluctuates the most during adolescence and then stabilizes. So just wishing for it to increase is not going to make it happen. Think of intelligence as the processor in a computer. Having a faster processor makes the programs load faster.
Success is not the result of one single quality. It is also about having the right skill and being in the right role where that skill (and your weaknesses) can be an advantage. A job that leverages your natural extraversion or introversion plus a network of people ready to help will take you further than going solo. When you have a story that connects you to the world, you are motivated to work hard at your goal.
To reimagine the workplace as an experience, one needs to understand the new media. Whether it is AR or VR or Mixed Reality or Holograms or even podcasts, there is lots to choose from. For that the HR teams will need to learn enough about the new media and then layer it with their imagination and creativity to create the experiences. The workplace needs to be a deeper digital experience and instant access to information is one way to create that. The HR teams must work with people who understand web design, user interface design, video production, data visualisation and of course, content creation.
Almost a decade ago Starbucks branded itself as the “third space” after office and home, where work happened. As the nature of work, working and workers have all changed, a fourth space has emerged. Co-working spaces get people from large organizations, small and medium enterprises and the solo workers. The solo worker could be the lone employee of a company or a gig worker who connects to the world on his or her mobile. This may also be triggered by the millennials who enjoy connecting and sharing their life in the virtual world. The co-working spaces give them a chance to do so in the work setting as well. Co-working is more than a working space. It is a place to not be lonely...
When you come across an old photo, you recall a story. Suddenly a date becomes significant. Milestone events get etched in our mind because our brain has created a little PostIt note and created a special place for it. By the way, where were you on 11 September 2001? You may be racking your brains to leaf through the pages of your memory. But as soon as you read the story, everything falls into place. Can you use stories in the workplace?
Work, Working, and Workers are all changing. If we look at work, it is severely impacted by machines; when you look at the nature of jobs, there’s a huge amount of upscaling; the where, how and what of working are also changing; who is a worker has also changed – gig workers, digital migrants. Everything is getting reconfigured now. So must HR.
Harvard used to have some of its employees manage their endowment funds. These people were paid huge salaries and bonuses like professional fund managers of investment funds. The result was Harvard earned billions but the fund managers earned in millions. When their salary information was shared with their colleagues, it made them resentful. Harvard was forced to bring their pay in line with other colleagues. The fund managers left. Transparency is not easy to manage.
