The definition of the Mindset of Discovery emerged from 20 years of helping companies build and activate cultures aligned with their values and fueled by engaged leaders and innovators, able to thrive in an ever-changing business landscape.
How many minutes of your day do you spend worrying about making a mistake, stressing out about workplace politics, checking out of meetings or over-planning and analyzing without taking action? If you are anything like the majority of people, chances are various stressful thoughts, fears and unhealthy judgments pop up in your head and take away from your energy and productivity. In our 20 years of working with businesses we have found that in order to keep these stressors at bay, we have to be intentional about where we focus our attention. In other words, we have to pick what lens we use to view the immense amount of information coming our way. That lens is our mindset and and we have dedicated our work to helping professionals of all levels, industries and personalities choose a mindset that helps them be more productive and happier at work.WHEN WE ARE IN THE MINDSET OF DISCOVERY WE ASSUME:
- Ideas and honest opinions have value and are celebrated instead of judged.
- Change is fuel instead of an obstacle.
- Mistakes are a great source of inspiration and learning.
- We all have the power to create change and impact those around us.
- We don’t need ALL the information to just begin.
- Listen: Be present, open and aware
- Defer Judgment: Pause and accept the potential of ideas and opinions
- Reframe: Use what you have to move forward
- Declare: Be authentic and clear, speak your mind
- Jump In: Develop a bias towards action, avoid analysis-paralysis
HOW DO YOU PRACTICE THE BIG FIVE?
Experiential learning activities rooted in improvisation are a wonderful vehicle to work on one’s mindset, because they break down complex social interactions, team dynamics and cultural norms to the very basics of how humans collaborate, communicate and create. In other words, improvisation is a lab in which we can help people set aside their every-day fears by creating an environment, in which the rules of interaction are centered around acceptance, openness and celebration. Such a space helps people make small shifts in how they think and behave. As a result they become more creative, authentic, empathetic and honest with each other, allowing them to get a lot done in a short amount of time.HOW CAN I SPEND MORE TIME IN THE MINDSET OF DISCOVERY?
We are honored to work both with organizations and individuals. If you are interested in exploring our work within the context of your organization we can deliver custom workshops, be part of large events, or be integrated in specific initiatives. Give us a shout to start a laughter-filled conversation. As an individual you are welcome to become part of our Brave Tuesdays cohort if you are based out of the Twin Cities, or can use our book The Innovative Mindset as a self-study guide. We are building more and better tools and offerings for individuals every month, so if you want to stay in the loop, let us know.
