When Mindset Becomes a Mask
- tanyakabote
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
The Hidden Pressure to ‘Always Improve’ at Work
Why the modern use of growth mindset might be secretly contributing to burnout
You may have heard it during job interviews, appraisals, or in company values;“We’re looking for someone with a growth mindset.”
It sounds foreword thinking, even motivating. But in many workplaces today, this phrase has taken on a different meaning than was initially intended. What was once a psychological concept designed to encourage learning has, in some cases, become a tool for quiet pressure. The expectation to “always grow” can begin to mask personal needs, support, rest, and honest limits.
What Growth Mindset Was Really Meant To Be
The term growth mindset was introduced by psychologist Carol Dweck in the context of education. It referred to the belief that intelligence and ability are not fixed, they can develop over time through effort, learning, and persistence. Her research aimed to encourage people to embrace challenges and mistakes as part of the learning process.
But that original purpose has shifted.
In workplace culture, growth mindset has been repackaged. Now it is often used as shorthand for being continually adaptable, permanently positive, and constantly productive, even under unrealistic conditions.
Rather than enabling growth, the phrase can become a silent rule,Struggling is a weakness. Progress must be constant. You are either developing, or dispensable.
The Flip Side of ‘Keep Improving’ Culture
Not everyone has the same capacity to grow at the same speed, in the same way. And no amount of positive thinking can overcome poor management, a lack of support, or a team environment that lacks psychological safety.
When organisations use growth mindset as a performance expectation, it can…
Discourage people from asking for help
Dismiss the needs of neurodivergent, disabled, or chronically ill employees
Ignore burnout and overwork under the disguise of “personal development”
Mindset Messaging in the Workplace
A well-known example of this is Amazon’s ‘Always Day One’ culture, which has promoted a mindset of continuous innovation. Employees have reported experiencing high internal pressure, and Amazon has used an “unregretted attrition” metric to assess workforce performance. During the 2022–2023 tech industry layoffs, some companies encouraged staff to build resilience while also announcing redundancies. In certain cases, coaching and mindset training were offered during periods of organisational change. These examples raise questions about how mindset initiatives are used, especially when broader structural issues remain unaddressed.
So, What’s the Alternative?
Growth mindset still has value. It can be helpful, hopeful, and powerful, but only when applied with care. True growth does not happen through pressure. It happens through safety, fairness, and support.
That means...
Encouraging open conversations about limits, capacity, and difference
Recognising that people grow at different speeds, and in different directions
Avoiding the assumption that mindset alone can overcome structural challenges
It is time to stop treating growth like a constant performance, and start seeing it as something that needs the right support to happen.
Sometimes, the strongest signal of a growth-minded workplace isn’t who’s improving the fastest, it is who feels safe enough to say..
“I’m finding this hard.”“I need time to adjust.”“I’m not growing right now, and that’s okay.”
Because the real mindset shift….starts with the culture….not the individual.
What’s your experience with “growth mindset” at work? Has it helped you, or made things harder?
Share your thoughts in the comments or tag someone who has been navigating this pressure quietly. It is time we talked about the difference between real growth and forced performance.
