Which practice involves praising effort, strategy, and learning—not just the outcome?

Which practice involves praising effort, strategy, and learning—not just the outcome?

• A. Growth Mindset
• B. Coach behavior (Growth Mindset)
• C. Risk (Growth Mindset)
• D. Directing Style

Answer: (B)

Fostering a growth mindset in coaching means giving feedback that highlights what the client did well in terms of effort, the strategies used, and what was learned, rather than only judging by the outcome. The best fit here is coach behavior that consciously reinforces process and learning—praising how hard the client worked, which specific approaches helped, and what the client gained from the experience. This kind of feedback helps clients see abilities as improvable and keeps motivation high even after setbacks. The idea is that simply endorsing the general concept of growth mindset isn’t enough as a practice; it’s the coach’s behavior—how they respond, prompt reflection, and praise effort and strategy—that enacts that mindset. Directing style focuses more on control and tasks, and praising outcomes alone can encourage fixed thinking. An emphasis on risk isn’t the fit here.

Fostering a growth mindset in coaching means giving feedback that highlights what the client did well in terms of effort, the strategies used, and what was learned, rather than only judging by the outcome. The best fit here is coach behavior that consciously reinforces process and learning—praising how hard the client worked, which specific approaches helped, and what the client gained from the experience. This kind of feedback helps clients see abilities as improvable and keeps motivation high even after setbacks.

The idea is that simply endorsing the general concept of growth mindset isn’t enough as a practice; it’s the coach’s behavior—how they respond, prompt reflection, and praise effort and strategy—that enacts that mindset. Directing style focuses more on control and tasks, and praising outcomes alone can encourage fixed thinking. An emphasis on risk isn’t the fit here.