9
OPINION
Harnessing the power of a growth mindset and the S-curve of learning to transform human capital in the AEC industry. Building teams with a growth mindset
R ecently I had the honor to participate in a round table discussion where executives from the AEC industry gathered to discuss challenges our industry is facing and some of the things we are doing to overcome them. More than 70 percent of the conversations converged at the intersection of human capital and mindset specific to employee development and empowerment.
Leisbel Lam, PE, LC, MBA
As I was listening, I made the connection of two key drivers I have been using to help build dynamic teams while improving talent recruitment and development. Those two drivers are a growth mindset and the S-curve of learning model. WHAT IS THE GROWTH MINDSET? The growth mindset is a concept pioneered by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck. It is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and continuous learning. While studying the impact of mindsets during my business graduate school course work, I came to the realization that mindset is the backbone to success because it is directly tied to the spiritual basic human needs of growth and contribution which are essential for personal and professional fulfilment.
I would never forget the power of the growth mindset when I hired Jeff who had an agricultural engineering degree and was working as a plan engineer in the food procession manufacturing industry. As a plan engineer on all sorts of projects, he realized his passion for electrical systems design and decided to pivot his career to electrical building systems design. While interviewing him, he was honest about his lack of experience designing electrical systems, besides the work he had done on his own home remodeling project. To back up his experience, he reached to a stack of documents he brough with him and surprised me with a set of electrical plans he had designed and installed himself. Jeff’s passion and overall building systems understanding was undeniable, so he joined us as an electrical designer. Within weeks in this new
See LEISBEL LAM, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 6, 2025, ISSUE 1567
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker