Culture of Genius survey template

Do your employees have a predetermined amount of talent, or is there room to grow? That’s the question that caused Christina Romero and Carol Dweck, researchers at Stanford, to divide corporate cultures into two different camps, “Growth Mindsets” and “Cultures of Genius.”

In a Culture of Genius, the emphasis is on employees’ innate ability rather than their ability to evolve. Employees don’t feel empowered, and there’s less opportunity to develop on the job.

Cultures of Genius are especially problematic for people from underrepresented groups (like women, racial minorities, or LGBTQ groups), who are conscious of being perceived as less capable, regardless of whether it’s true.

Some indicators of a Culture of Genius:

At a company with a Growth Mindset, employees are empowered to continue to evolve professionally. There are clear channels for asking questions and voicing concerns, and open discussion is encouraged.

Growth Mindset both empowers employees to thrive and incentivizes them to stay with their company longer.

This survey template gives you insight into the type of culture that your employees perceive at your company—regardless of whether you believe to be true. Your findings might tell you new areas to focus or validate elements of your culture that already exist.

Use this survey if you: