This is a five-part series on the benefits of recognising and supporting neurodistinct talent in your organisation.
Nicky, a Marketing Manager for a large global consultancy, shares her experience:
I start the working day full of enthusiasm. Today will be different.
Now I know what the problem is I can sort it all out. Apparently, ADHD isn’t only about small boys running riot in the classroom and there are many other women like me who remain ‘under the radar’ almost their whole career.
I’ve got this far with hard work and without anyone noticing. Everything will be fine.
It’s halfway through the morning and already the panic and anxiety is back. I’ve got this horrid feeling in the pit of my stomach and if someone is nice to me I’ll probably cry.
- How is that I have answered 20 emails but not made any headway on the report that is due by then end of today?
- How did I not notice that I had gone down a rabbit hole looking at some research which is fascinating but probably not entirely relevant to the topic in hand?
- How is that I’ve helped April see a problem from a whole new perspective, and I’m now fearing the worst because I’m about to be late for a meeting for which I’m not prepared?
- Why is it that I have lots of really good ideas and rarely do anything with them?
Maybe I really am an imposter.
Fast forward a month. I’ve been found out. My new manager wants to talk about ‘how things are going’. This is it. I may as well clear my desk.
Actually not. I find out she is in the Diversity and Inclusion network. She is wondering if I have any thing that I want to share that might be making my job hard? She suspects I may be working very hard to be ‘fit in’ and, in the process, masking who I really am and my true potential.
Through the Access to Work scheme I get a strategy coach.
It’s literally life changing.
I hadn’t realised that my ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas is a gift that should be celebrated, rather than an annoying habit to be supressed. And apparently my energetic enthusiasm is infectious.
That’s all very well I say. I still have memory lapses and distractions and stress to deal with. That’s not going to just disappear is it?
Well no, but apparently these problems are a lot to do with what’s going on around me and ‘how we do things round here’. It’s all about creating the right conditions in which I can be my best self.
Unsurprisingly, the ideas are flooding in. Considering how small and inexpensive some of the changes are, the impact is huge.
With the help of my coach, I’m focusing on my strengths. I’m using my ability to think in pictures and colour and stories to plan better for projects and meetings, and as a result I can concentrate and engage and remember what’s important.
I now have the confidence to ask questions when I am not clear about priorities and to flag up when I need to avoid distractions. My manager hadn’t realised that casually asking me to do three or four separate tasks as she passed my desk could send me into a spin with little chance of me remembering more than the first two.
Speech to text training, to help with how I process ideas, is on its way. And, to everyone’s relief, I am no longer required to suffer the torture of number crunching and writing up minutes of meetings.
I feel more valued – the team looks to me when we need to bring to life the big picture, find new ideas and inject a bit of energy and pace.
So yes, I’ve upped my game. But, if I’m honest, I’m a lot happier.
Thank goodness I was spotted!
What can we learn from Nicky’s story?
When you understand more about neurodiversity, it is easier to spot hidden talent.
Neurodiversity (sometimes described as neurodivergence) refers to the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioural traits: a natural variation in the human population.
Neurodiverse conditions include, amongst other things, Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Tourette Syndrome. There is a huge amount of overlap between each of these conditions and it is important to remember that no two people with one condition are completely alike.
These ‘neurodistinct’ individuals (an estimated 10% of the UK population) often think quite differently to the majority of people, learn in different ways, have different interests and motivations, and possess particular talents. Often it is difficult to tell if someone is neurodistinct – the statistics suggest that the likelihood that you have colleagues and customers who are neurodistinct is high.
Often neurodistinct employees don’t disclose their conditions for fear of discrimination. Also, ‘neurotypicals’ can mistakenly assume their neurodiverse colleagues automatically lack the capability to perform well in some jobs. Taking a proactive approach can pay dividends. When neurodistinct employees are supported to use their strengths effectively, people tend to look at ways of working from a newer, fresher perspective, and the whole team benefits.
Prioritise attention on what people can do.
Research shows that strengths-based approaches to skills development can be powerful in increasing motivation and performance. Strengths generally boost our energy and sense of agency. Who hasn’t experienced being ‘in the zone’ and productive when concentrating on an area where our strengths shine?
Cultures which are primarily about ‘fixing problems’ tend to cause feelings of insufficiency which, in turn, trigger other negative emotions, like anger, fear and anxiety, which stifle motivation and creativity.
Time and effort spent on reinforcing strengths will generate a far greater return on investment.
Create the right conditions for neurodistinct skills to emerge.
Making changes need not be dramatic or expensive. Consider, for example, the following:
- How are tasks assigned?
- How clear are instructions?
- How are sensory preferences (noise, lighting) catered for?
- How are people to supported to identify and communicate how they work at their best?
- How could an external, impartial resource, such as a coach, help support this process?
- What talents are hidden in plain sight in your workplace?
- How are you making it easy for neurodistinct employees to fulfil their potential?
- What can you do to raise awareness of neurodiversity at work?
Clare McNamara