Does your business need a leader of mindset?

Lisa Collinson at coaching and cultural change agency TheNextWe outlines the significance of mindset at work and describes the role of mindset managers

Mindset can be a difficult thing to quantify. While it can be the difference between completing a challenge and giving up partway through. It can be limiting without being overtly negative. Mindset can hold even the most motivated people back. Usually without them being aware. The mindset of individual employees can change the entire performance of a business.

And yet most business managers feel that employee mindset is an area they have no right to address. Because mindset is a personal matter, much like mental health.

The thing is, while mindset can be very personal, it can also be a professional concern. And in 2023, the Mindset Manager is becoming the must-have corporate role.

The role of mindset in business

Mindset can impact all areas of a person’s life. It influences how an individual confronts challenges and deals with failure. How they handle criticism. And how proactive they might be – in their professional life as well as their personal.

But it’s not a static thing. Mindset is capable of change – in fact, it changes organically all the time. Negative experiences can easily throw up mental barriers, limiting an individual’s professional performance or personal happiness. Meaning that most of us carry mindset blocks that have the potential to hold us back, without even realising it. Limiting our capabilities.

At work, this might mean that we’re cast down by what is intended as constructive criticism. That we don’t put ourselves forward for challenges. Or that we don’t apply for promotion. Limiting ourselves as well as the value that we might bring to the business.

On an individual level, the impact may be noticeable but management. On a team level, when everyone is held back by their own mindset barriers, the business impact can be huge. Preventing maximum performance and productivity and limiting the potential of both individual workers and the business as a whole. The role of the Mindset Manager is to prevent that from happening.

What does a Mindset Manager do?

The role of the Mindset Manager is to put into place mechanisms that can help employees understand their mindset, identify the issues that may be influencing or blocking their mindset, and help to overcome obstacles that may be holding people back. And they can do this in a number of ways.

Mindset coaching. The purpose of mindset coaching is to support employees to take control of their mindset. This can work on a team or individual level, and its primary role is empowerment. Not forcing individuals to change. But showing them that they can change if they wish to. And what they can achieve if they remove their internal obstacles. 

Encouraging mental well-being. While two separate areas, mindset and mental health can often be linked. Mindset barriers are more likely to form if a person is feeling stressed, anxious, or unhappy. And with 76% of UK employees reporting moderate-to-high or high levels of stress, this can be a significant concern. Not only in regards to mindset but in general employee wellbeing and in reducing employee absences.

There are various ways to support improved mental health in employees. Including providing access to counselling, mindfulness, and physical fitness. But if you want to improve employee mindset, improving mental health is a good place to start. 

Employee engagement. Employees who are engaged in their work and feel valued by their company tend to develop a more positive mindset. This is because they are invested in their duties and the success of the company. And this can bring multiple benefits for a business, including increased productivity and reduced staff turnover rate. But it can be hard to know how to encourage employee engagement. And that’s part of the Mindset Manager’s role. Finding ways to build a culture of engagement, communication, and positivity. 

The benefits of a Mindset Manager

The primary role of the Mindset Manager is to support employees across the business – from the board to the broom cupboard – to be their best. When every person within a business is achieving optimal performance, it not only impacts whole business productivity, but can influence company culture. Enhancing employee happiness through stress reduction, improved mental and physical health, and increased resilience.

With improved mindset, comes opportunity. not just for individual team members but for the business as a whole. As each person discovers that it’s OK to bring new ideas to the table, it’s OK to ask for help, it’s OK to disagree and have a personal opinion, your business will become stronger. 

Mindset management, at its core, is a productivity tool. It’s there to maximise the potential of your business. It delivers measurable results. But it’s not just another cynical PR ploy. Because the Mindset Manager’s role is to support the business, they can only do that through providing genuine support for your team members. And that is for the good of everyone.

Lisa Collinson FCIPD MInstTOL MinstLM is Chief People Officer and UK Country Manager at TheNextWe. With a background in HR strategy development, implementation, and measurement, she has more than 22 years’ experience in people leadership. Lisa has worked across sectors throughout the UK and internationally, supporting businesses with change management, restructuring, and performance management – with an emphasis on behaviourism and why people act the way they do.

Main image courtesy of iStyockPhoto.com