WHAT IS GRIT?
The word grit is something you have probably heard before, but in terms of the organizational behavior (OB) field, the definition might differ from the one you’re used to. Grit is the ability to pursue long term goals with high levels of passion and perseverance. In this field, grit pertains to perseverance over months, years, or even a lifetime, rather than minutes, days, or weeks. It is one of the newer ideas introduced to the world of OB. Regardless of their domain of expertise, individuals who display high levels of grit demonstrate high levels of stamina in the pursuit of long-term goals.
In the field of organizational behavior, experts assign 5 personality types to individuals. These include extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. In relation to these 5 personality traits, grit is related to a high level conscientiousness more than other personality traits. Conscientiousness is defined by high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse control and goal directed behaviors.
Grit overlaps with achievement aspects of conscientiousness but differs in its emphasis on long-term stamina rather than short-term intensity. The gritty individual not only finishes tasks at hand but pursues a given aim over years. Grit also differs from the dependability aspects of conscientiousness, including self-control, and its specification of consistent goals and interests. An individual high in self-control but moderate in grit may, for example, effectively control his or her temper, stick to his or her diet, and resist the urge to surf the Internet at work—yet switch careers annually. Grit also differs from need for achievement, described as a drive to complete manageable goals that allow for immediate feedback on performance. Whereas individuals high in need for achievement pursue goals that are neither too easy nor too hard, individuals high in grit deliberately set themselves extremely long-term objectives and do not swerve from them— even in the absence of positive feedback.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Grit is an essential element of personal growth in long term situations, as higher levels of grit most often equate to higher levels of growth. For a moment, think about how important interviews are in relation to your future career. Professionals in investment banking, painting, journalism, academia, medicine, and law were asked what quality separates the star performers in their respected fields. The quality they responded with was either grit or a close synonym. According to a study done a century before any work on grit even began, ability alone does not bring about success in any field. Instead, it concludes that high achievers possess a skill set which includes ability combined with passion and capacity for hard work–which defines grit. This trait is something employers actively look for in potential employees, meaning it is an important skill to work on and develop.
HOW CAN I USE IT IN MY JOB?
By continuing to strive for long-term goals in the workplace, individuals can reach higher levels of success as opposed to simply reaching for short-term goals. The amount of grit in the workplace depends heavily on context. Some organizations are better than others at capitalizing on individual grit. Grit can help to predict accomplishing goals of personal significance and has been found to be unrelated to measures of talent and can help to bridge the gap if an individual is lacking in some other aspect of a job.
Collectively, gritty teams possess the same characteristics as gritty individuals, including a strong drive to work diligently, acquire knowledge, and enhance their skills; the ability to bounce back from obstacles; and a well-defined sense of values and direction. To ensure the success of gritty individuals and teams, organizations must cultivate cultures that emulate their most effective people and teams, transforming them into larger versions of themselves.
Explicitly defining goal hierarchies is advantageous for organizations. When an organization acknowledges having multiple missions without prioritizing them, it may struggle to make strategic decisions. Organizations that cultivate a gritty culture have the potential to achieve exceptional results. To develop such a culture, organizations should prioritize two essential elements: passion and perseverance. Passion stems from an internal drive and a sense of purpose, where employees find meaning in their work and believe that their efforts make a positive impact. Perseverance is characterized by the ability to bounce back from setbacks and a steadfast commitment to continuously improve. By emphasizing these traits, organizations can foster a resilient and determined workforce capable of achieving remarkable things.
THE DOWNSIDES TO GRIT
While grit can be held responsible for so much excellence and achievement, too much grit can lead to destructive behaviors as well. Being that grit is powered by perseverance and passion, “sometimes people with high grit might not do the logical, rational thing because their grit compels them to keep going” (Lucas p.10). They’re those coworkers that don’t give up solving a problem when everyone else deems it impenetrable. They might even stay late at work or spend too much of their free time trying to find the solution still. This kind of grit is obstinate and can be seen as stubbornness; it ignores the signs of imminent failure and presses on digging a deeper hole for them. “We’d like them to see the benefits that sometimes stopping it with something and going on and moving on is the more beneficial path” (Lucas p. 12). It’s important to learn that sometimes it is a good idea to quit. Grit requires balance.
Through one’s grit they pursue dead end pursuits and people with less grit would be quicker to abandon those pursuits and look for something more fruitful.
Works CIted:
Duckworth, Angela, et al. Personality Processes and Individual Differences: “Grit:Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: American Psychological Association, January 10, 2007.
co-founder, A. D. is the. (n.d.). Grit. Character Lab. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://characterlab.org/playbooks/grit/
Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals – hezarsarv.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://hezarsarv.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-Science-of-Developing-DuckworthPetersonMatthewsKelly_2007_PerseveranceandPassion.pdf
NPR. (2016, April 5). The power and problem of grit. NPR. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/transcripts/472162167
Southwick, D. A., Tsay, C.-J., & Duckworth, A. L. (2021, January 7). Grit at work. UCL Discovery – UCL Discovery. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10137757/
What gritty companies look like. Harvard Business Review. (2018, September 18). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://hbr.org/2018/09/organizational-grit