Meaning & use
change mindset
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Meanings
phrasetransitive
to alter the usual way a person or group thinks about something, especially to become more open or positive
Grammar: Takes an object: change your mindset. The object can be a possessive (my, your) or a noun phrase (the company's mindset).
Patterns
- change your mindset
- change the mindset of someone
- change mindset about something
After the workshop, she decided to change her mindset about failure and see it as a chance to learn.
The coach tried to change the mindset of the whole team before the final match.
It is hard to change a mindset that has been passed down for generations.
phrasetransitive
to make a group of people adopt a different set of shared attitudes or beliefs
Grammar: Often used with a collective object such as 'the culture' or 'the organization'. Can be passive: the mindset was changed by new leadership.
Patterns
- change the mindset of a group
- change a company's mindset
- change mindset toward something
New regulations are slowly changing the mindset of the industry.
It takes more than a memo to change the mindset of an entire department.
The campaign aims to change public mindset toward recycling.
Common combinations
- change your mindset
- You can change your mindset by questioning your automatic thoughts.
- a change in mindset
- There has been a real change in mindset since the new manager arrived.
- shift your mindset
- Sometimes you need to shift your mindset rather than work harder.
- a positive mindset
- She credits her success to a positive mindset.
Synonyms and how they differ
- change your attitude
- This is more about your feelings or behavior toward a specific thing, while 'change mindset' is about your whole way of thinking.
- shift your thinking
- Very similar, but often used for a smaller or temporary adjustment; 'change mindset' suggests a deeper, longer-lasting change.
Word family
- mindset noun
- The noun that forms the core of this phrase; a fixed way of thinking.
Commonly confused: change mindset or change mind?
change mindset vs change mind
'Change your mind' means to make a different decision, not to alter your whole way of thinking. 'I changed my mind about the job' is about a choice, not a mindset.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'change mindset' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'change your mindset about something' fits here: the training altered how employees think about risk. Option An is wrong because 'change your mindset to' is not a standard pattern; you change your mind about a choice, not your mindset 'to' a place. Option B lacks a possessive or article before 'mindset' and uses a vague context. Option D is nonsensical because weather does not have a mindset.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “change mindset”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.