Examine the impact of self-efficacy
The team is learning more about self-efficacy and using that knowledge to start planning a strategy to create and polish their presentation. You know that you need to approach this task with a positive mindset and self-dialogue. In this unit, you'll explore the relationship between your efficacy levels and mindset.
Low self-efficacy
Low self-efficacy often occurs when you start work on a new task, experience a change in environment, or are faced with a challenge. If you're new to something and you're surrounded by others with more experience, it can be easy to tell yourself that you're not as good as them. You start comparing yourself to others negatively, and this self-doubt doesn't help your mindset. You might feel hesitant to ask questions and learn, but this hesitancy will stop you from progressing.
During such moments, remember that everyone has different experiences, knowledge, and skill sets, especially in technology. These differences aren't apparent, but they're important to consider. By reminding yourself of these differences, you can stop comparing yourself to others in a less than favorable light. You can collaborate with them in a positive manner, learn from each other, and become better at different tasks.
To learn more about how you can cultivate a growth mindset, review the following short video.
Note
Remember from the video: You can't know someone else's prior experience offhand. Social comparisons can make you unfairly question your potential contributions.
Self-efficacy and your self-talk
The following table illustrates the impact of self-efficacy on your inner dialogue, which directly affects your chances of a successful outcome.
| Low self-efficacy | High self-efficacy |
|---|---|
| This code is going for testing in a week! I can't possibly complete it by then! | This code needs some work before it's ready for testing next week. I'm good at code and have done this before. I need to set daily targets so I can keep track of my progress and meet the deadline. |
| How will I ever debug this program? It has so many issues, and I don't know where to start. | I appreciate the testing team's effort in finding these issues with the program. I'll do a quick review of the logged bugs and plan a roadmap for resolution. I know I can count on my teammates for support if I need it. |
| I'm nervous to meet my new team. They're experts, and I hope they don't think they're better than me. | I'm excited to start my new role. I'll learn a lot from my teammates who are more experienced than me. I've done a great job so far, which is why I deserve this promotion. |
Important
If you believe that you can become more capable, you'll keep going and recover from setbacks.
What is mindset?
Your mindset or your frame of mind is the set of beliefs and thought processes that influence the way you approach situations. There are two types of mindsets:
- Fixed mindset: A fixed mindset is the mental attitude that our basic abilities such as intelligence and talent are fixed traits. When you have a fixed mindset, you're apprehensive about starting on tasks or learning new skills. You might think "I'm not good enough" or "What will everyone think if I fail?" You might think to yourself that you're only capable of doing certain things and consider situations as tests that reveal which abilities you were born with.
- Growth mindset: A growth mindset is the mental attitude that your basic abilities can be developed with dedication and hard work. When you have a growth mindset, you think of challenging situations as opportunities to learn and grow your skills. You think "I'll work on this and improve my skills" and "I can ask my team for their support and feedback." You tell yourself that every great programmer was once a beginner and that you can learn anything you don't know yet.
Note
Research has demonstrated that having a growth mindset toward learning can improve resilience and the ability to succeed. A growth mindset is reflected through a passion for learning, not a hunger for approval. People with a growth mindset don't think of themselves as failing, but as learning.
Connect self-efficacy to mindset
Your self-efficacy levels closely reflect your mindset. Together, self-efficacy and mindset play a significant role in contributing to your level of comfort with a situation. Your self-efficacy and mindset determine whether you decide to engage in or avoid situations that make you uncomfortable in a technology workspace. The following table compares the differences in attitudes and outcomes for the two mindsets and self-efficacy levels.
| Low self-efficacy and a fixed mindset | High self-efficacy and a growth mindset |
|---|---|
| When you have low self-efficacy, your attitude and thought process reflect a fixed mindset. You remain unsure of your capabilities and lack confidence in pursuing new tasks, practicing, and persevering. | When you have high levels of self-efficacy, your attitude and thought process reflect a growth mindset. You engage in positive self-talk and are more open to learning and receiving feedback from others. |
| You try to avoid tasks or start on them with fear of judgment from your team or others that you work with. | You approach challenges and new tasks with the intention of learning and improving your skills. |
| You tend to focus on your fear of failure. This negative thinking increases your anxiety, which in turn affects your ability to think calmly and make a plan to move forward. This cycle leads to poorer outcomes. | You tend to focus on feelings of accomplishment. This positive thinking helps you cope and progress, even in uncertain or difficult situations in technology and leads to better outcomes. |
Consider the following scenario as you prepare for the coding competition:
You're creating help documentation for your team's coding competition. If you have a fixed mindset, you'll tell yourself that the documentation you produce won't be of much use to the team. You might not make much progress because you don't plan a course of action or break your task into smaller actionable items. You might take your team's feedback as criticism of your writing skills.
Conversely, if you have high self-efficacy in this task, you'll approach it with enthusiasm. You'll have a growth mindset and be open to support and feedback from your team. You'll create a list of small steps to progress toward the final goal. You'll celebrate your successes and learn from the feedback your team gave you.