On February 16 2022, DEVELOR International hosted its 9th webinar in the series RE/Think HR. This time, our experts and guests speakers discussed the role of mindset in the modern world and how to shape it. The event was attended by over 100 guests from 11 countries.
In short:
- In today’s fast-changing and complex business environment, mindset is more critical than ever, as processes and tools alone cannot ensure successful adaptation.
- DEVELOR emphasizes the “why–how–what” framework, integrating mindset (why), behavior (how), and routines (what) into every impactful learning journey.
- Mindset development can be a starting point, a key objective, or a supporting element in learning programs, boosting long-term change and engagement.
- Mindset now outweighs skillset in importance, making it essential to design programs that cultivate adaptability, ownership, and cultural alignment.
We all understand that in the world we live in, change has become constant. Even more, the frequency and intensity of change is increasing. Additionally, the complexity of how companies operate also increases. In most cases today, the patterns and best practices of the past may not work well in the next situation.
Processes and Technology Are Not Enough To Respond to the Changing World
What are the responses of businesses to the increasing speed and growing complexity? They are improving their processes, transforming their technology, implementing agile methods, trying to adapt to change.
But without employees who are able to adapt to this environment, these efforts are useless. These are the circumstances that value people’s mindsets and attitudes. This makes it increasingly important to address the need to sift and develop mindsets.
All four guest speakers of the RE/Think webinar have testified on the value and importance of the mindset in the company culture. They find it an integral part of the success formula.
Any Organizational Change Starts With the Right Mindset
Ask yourself, why does your company turn to a training company? Most probably, because you want the management or the employees to change their behaviour in some way, in order to improve the performance, engagement or other elements of your company’s success.
In DEVELOR we promise that our services help change mindset behaviour and routines. And there is a reason why these 3 are part of any successful learning program, and change program as well:
Many of the classic training focuses on behaviour, the HOW. It shows how people should behave, it shows skills and tools that can be used. How to delegate, how to give feedback, lead teams, etc.
But even if you tell managers and teams how they should act, they still find it difficult to understand what to do on Monday, when they enter the office. That is why we dedicate a lot of time and effort to discussing routines.
The behaviour change will become cemented into the corporate culture with the help of routines, that are well established, understood and ideally documented in an operating model. This is the WHAT of the story – what do we do to make it part of everyday reality. Still, the whole change will fail if we don’t pay attention to the mindset part.
The right mindset answers the question WHY. It helps understand and integrate the reason to even bother changing something. An ideal learning programme thus always must include some elements that support participants in the mindset shift, teach them how to behave in those competencies that they try to develop, and, of course, it should focus on the concrete routines.
Three Places for Mindset Shaping in the Development Programmes
Mindset and attitude forming programmes or elements can take different sizes and shapes in the learning journey.
- A mindset programme can be a great starting point, a kick-off of a complex, multi-step training programme. Growth mindset workshop is often suitable for this purpose, as it sets the open-minded, growth focus tone to the whole journey.
- It can also be used as a priority objective of the development. This is common for the programmes, dedicated to helping the employees develop a safety mindset. Both Béke Nagy-Toma and Katja Čemažar have experienced and shared their insights into this part of the company culture.
- The third option is to use a mindset programme as a supporting tool for behaviour change. That way it is contributing to the long-lasting effect of the development program.
The mindset has become more important than the skillset because we need people who can adapt to today’s realities. And that’s why we have to consciously pay special attention to developing mindset.
DEVELOR is ready to be the partner for all four steps of this transformative journey for any company brave enough to take the action. If you are in that position, contact us.
What is RE/Think HR?
RE/Think HR is a series of international webinars dedicated to HR and L&D managers. The pandemic-induced changes in the way of working and leading caused complications that required novel solutions. Thus, DEVELOR decided to establish this virtual event series to allow HR managers from different countries to ventilate existing challenges, share experiences and get inspiration and ideas from others. Take a chance and register for the next event.
Frequently asked questions about mindset development and learning journeys
Mindset is important in learning and development because lasting change rarely happens through skills and tools alone. In a fast-changing business environment, employees and leaders need to understand why a new behaviour, routine or way of working matters before they can truly adopt it. Training often focuses on the “how”, such as how to give feedback, lead a team or manage change, but mindset gives people the deeper reason to apply those behaviours in real situations. Without this shift, participants may understand the concept during training but return to old habits afterwards. For HR and L&D professionals, mindset development is essential because it connects learning to ownership, adaptability and long-term behavioural change.
Mindset development can support organizational change by helping people accept, understand and actively participate in new ways of working. Processes, technology and agile methods can create the structure for change, but employees need the right attitudes to make these changes work in everyday practice. A mindset-focused learning journey helps participants explore the purpose behind the change, recognize their own role and build openness toward new routines. This is especially important when organizations need more adaptability, safety awareness, growth orientation or stronger cultural alignment. For L&D teams, mindset development should be integrated into change programs so that people do not only learn what to do, but also why the change is worth committing to.
Mindset can be built into a learning journey as a starting point, a core development objective or a supporting element for behaviour change. As a starting point, a growth mindset workshop can create openness and prepare participants for a longer development process. As a core objective, mindset development can help shape specific cultural priorities, such as safety mindset, ownership or adaptability. As a supporting element, it strengthens the long-term impact of skills training by helping participants connect new behaviours to concrete routines. For HR and L&D professionals, the most effective learning journeys combine mindset, behaviour and routines, so development becomes visible in everyday work.
