We need to persevere! • 2 min read
A study published for the Society for Research in Child Development found that praising a child’s effort...
"Great effort, you're a great learner!"
...encourages them to adopt an incremental motivational framework - the children associate success with hard work, they enjoy taking on challenges, they come up with strategies for improvement, and they believe that ability is not set in stone - they can develop it over time.
In contrast, praising a child’s inherent abilities...
"You're so talented!"
...encourages them to adopt a fixed-ability framework.
Introduction
True learning happens when your workforce takes the time to slow down and engage in deliberate, focused thinking—the kind that activates System 2 (slow, effortful, and purposeful thinking). Similarly, growth occurs when your people tackle challenges just beyond their current abilities, much like how muscles grow through progressive strain.
But what happens when your team members encounter their first major obstacle while pursuing ambitious goals or learning new skills?
They PERSEVERE!
Skills come from struggle
Consider a child learning to tie their shoelaces or attempting a gymnastics routine. Unlike many adults, they don’t quit at the first hurdle—they persist until they improve.
For your workforce, the journey to skill mastery can feel just as challenging. Barriers often become the reason employees stop trying. They may attempt to push through once, fail, and abandon the effort entirely.
However, for your people to strengthen their skills or acquire new ones, they must be prepared to struggle. This is true for any professional field. For example, the most successful salespeople don’t simply rely on natural charisma; they persevere. On average, it takes 18 calls to connect with a potential client—a process that demands the ultimate persistence!
So, how can your employees develop this critical ability to persevere?
The mindset to persevere
Several factors enable perseverance, including having a clear purpose, interest in the task, and engaging in deliberate practice.
One of the most influential factors, however, is cultivating a GROWTH MINDSET within your workforce.
Research by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck has shown that talent alone doesn’t predict success. Instead, success often hinges on the belief that improvement is possible through effort and practice.
Employees with a growth mindset believe that, with time, dedication, and learning, they can develop skills and achieve goals once thought impossible. This mindset fosters resilience and creativity when faced with challenges.
The language your leaders and managers use with your people plays a significant role in nurturing this mindset.
For example, statements such as:
"It’s really hard; don’t worry if you can’t do it"
or
"Well, at least you tried"
reinforce a fixed mindset, where abilities are seen as static.
In contrast, statements like:
"That approach didn’t work—what can we try next?"
or
"It’s really hard; don’t worry if you can’t do it YET"
encourage your employees to adopt a growth mindset.
Key takeaways
To help your workforce persevere and thrive:
Recognise that growth requires struggle—new skills emerge when your people persist through challenges.
Foster a growth mindset among employees to ensure they view obstacles as opportunities to improve.
Use deliberate, growth-oriented language to inspire resilience and a willingness to try new approaches.
Think big, act small
Start by encouraging your leadership team to reflect on how they speak to and about their employees during the day. Does their language prioritise innate talent over effort? Does it help cultivate a growth mindset in the organisation?
By making small adjustments to the language and mindset in your organisation, you can empower your people to persevere, grow, and achieve remarkable outcomes.
Content sources
Grit, Angela Duckworth
Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential, Carol Dweck
Society for Research in Child Development, Parent praise to 1- to 3-year-olds predicts children's motivational frameworks 5 years later, Gunderson et al
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