Technology troubleshooting and mindset

This article first appeared in the Eduk8me newsletter. Be sure to subscribe to be the first to get articles such as this.

Technology troubleshooting and mindset

When I’m working with others, I have a question I use to figure out their mindset:

When technology goes wrong, what do you do?

If they answer that they try to figure out what they could have done, then I have a strong inclination that they are of the growth mindset. If they immediately blame the technology, then there is a good possibility they are of the fixed mindset.

Growth mindset gives those users the ability to look at a bad situation and see what they can learn. When tech goes wrong (and it will), the more you’ve learned the easier it is to fix the problem.

However, by placing the blame on the technology, the user immediately relieves themselves of any responsibility. “It’s the technology’s fault, not mine.”

How would you answer?