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4. Current State to Future State

and Growth Mindset

Transitioning to future state, encouraging growth mindset

This effort is a continuation of our Transformation Tools found at: 

OPM.gov/Reshaping

What are the Drivers of Change?

When contemplating significant changes like automating processes, the initial force for change may already be 

defined in agency planning and performance documents, such as new goals in the agency strategic plans or shifting 

budget requirements due to enhancements to technology. However, many other internal and external factors will 

influence the implementation of any change effort. As part of the “Evaluation Phase” of your Change Management 

Plan, the project manager can explore these drivers and how they interrelate will clarify the agency’s vision for 

change with a strong focus and specific objectives. 

Internal Drivers of Change External Drivers of Change

• Changes to business plans

• Budget changes

• Planned capital enhancements to technology

• Servicing arrangements

• Organizational performance 

• Customer feedback

• Predictions about the demand for services

• Societal changes

• Labor market forces 

• Technological innovations

Transformation Team

• Agency Leaders

• C-suite Leaders 

• Managers

• Supervisors

• Team Leaders

• Employees

• Unions

• Federal Partners 

To prepare for change, the transformation team of agency leaders and strategic partners (including executive 

leaders, information technology leaders, financial/budget leaders, human resources leaders and General Counsel) 

will need to gather more information and conduct additional research on the driving forces through the use of 

surveys, strength-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis, forecasting, trend analysis, and interviews 

with internal and external stakeholders.
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The Growth Mindset*

A mindset is an established set of attitudes.

Attributes

Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset

• Believes intelligence, talents and abilities are fixed

• People are born with traits like intelligence and 

creativity 

• Steers clear of challenges

• Abilities, talent, intelligence and creativity are 

developed through hard work, dedication, 

teaching, effort, and persistence

• Failure isn’t a reflection of abilities. Failure is an 

opportunity for growth, learning and 

experimentation

Forward Thinking Strategies - Managers: 

• Lead your team with a growth mindset of embracing change, promoting learning and accepting challenges

• Set learning goals

• Focus on taking on new challenges 

• Help employees to experiment with new ideas

• Stress goals focused on learning, improving and trying new things

In the Workplace

Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset

• Business as usual

• Adverse to trying new things

• Avoids challenges

• Concerned with competing with others

• Embraces change

• Motivated to learn and improve 

• Accepts challenges

• Accepts constructive feedback

• Learns from the success of others

Progressive Strategies - Employees: 

• Take on growth opportunities

• Take risks

• Establish stretch goals

• Ask for improvement feedback

 

* Based on research by Dr. Carol Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University