By: Scott Bowman, Sergeant First Class*
Carol Dweck’s growth-mindset theories are traditionally marketed to educators as a tool to help students improve their learning skills. The idea is educators teach students to look for improvements in the process of learning, not just memorize facts and figures. Perceived failures are re-framed as opportunities for improvement. Although these concepts are often used as an education tool, they have great potential in the military as well. But how would growth mindset handle a completely new and unique challenge, say a pandemic of global proportions?
Those of us who lived on the Korean peninsula were aware of this new viral threat but didn’t really pay it much mind until, that is, late February. Then everything switched into high gear. We watched the virus spread rapidly throughout the entire peninsula and quickly took measures to prevent transmission onto U.S. installations. We watched as installation services shut down to include restaurants, movie theaters, barbershops, and schools. Units were placed in an essential personnel-only status. Entry points to the installation tightened access procedures, adding health screening and temperature checks. Then we waited. Would it work? Did we do enough?
The first learning opportunity came with the first day of gate restrictions. Wait times at the gate were longer, and personnel deemed mission-essential were challenged as they navigated the increased gate traffic. However, we were able to learn and develop new plans. Within a few days, the crowds were gone and the gate traffic flowed. We had a system. But the learning didn’t stop there.
Protect the Force. Kill the virus. Squash the curve. These became our new mottos. How can we make this happen? How do we limit exposure while still maintaining operational capacity at the unit level? What about unit training, staff meetings, and all the regular daily duties? All these questions, and more, provided opportunities for learning and growing. We learned how to sanitize workspaces quickly and efficiently to eliminate any possible contaminants. Schedules were implemented with split shifts to limit the number of personnel in the building while still providing time to accomplish the required tasks. The digital domain was integrated into everyday operations. Briefings were conducted on social media, staff meetings took place online, and training moved to a distance-learning format where instructors used videos and teleconference to interface with Soldiers. Not everything worked on the first attempt. We continued to learn and develop the process. Communication weaknesses were identified and corrected. Training methods were refined. Each day we learned a little more, made some progress, and improved the process.
What did we learn? When faced with challenging circumstances, today’s Soldiers can adapt quickly and efficiently. As we continue to develop our methods, we consistently show the effectiveness of a growth mindset. Always learning, always growing.
About the Author
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
