What does #diversity look like in your team?
When we speak of diversity, we often focus on sex, age, origin, culture, etc.
One form of diversity is quite neglected in my experience, and it is a constant struggle for them to fit and strive in conventional teams.
I am talking about #neurodivergence.
An estimated 15-20 percent of the world’s population presents some form of neurodivergence. There are 600,000 neurodivergent adults in Canada.
A rigid system that works for most may not cater to the #neurodivergent work style. They can never be the best of them, and you will miss out on so much potential!
It can be a challenge to identify the needs of neurodivergent team members since they can fall anywhere within the spectrum of divergence. Being one of them, here are my tips for your consideration:
✅ Promote a culture of empathy and understanding where neurodivergent individuals feel valued and empowered to contribute effectively.
➸ If I am not valued, I might doubt my skills. No good come would from that.
✅ Encourage open adjustments for individual needs, like offering options, quiet spaces for focus, flexible work arrangements, and alternative communication methods
➸ This is a big one for me. To implement deep and sharp focus, I need to minimize my triggers and distractions. Rabbit holes are a real danger for me.
➸ Communicating over audio calls is challenging for me. Hearing instructions through loudspeakers does not work for me as well. (After many years of struggle, I finally got my hearing tested to find out I have excellent hearing!). My brain just needs a reduction in the noise and an enhancement in the communication. So, I learned to schedule most of my communications via in-person or video meetings. This way, I can relate the content with the speaker’s expression and body language and feel confident of receiving the message correctly.
✅ Encourage them to express their preferences and challenges, and ensure that team members are attentive and supportive.
➸ If they are not speaking throughout the meeting, reserve a few minutes at the end of the meeting and encourage them to express what they are thinking about the topics discussed.
✅ Ensure that instructions and expectations are well-defined, allowing neurodivergent writers (and anyone else) to better understand and meet their responsibilities.
➸ When I don’t receive bulletproof instructions, I write you a list of clarifying questions, please bear with me because that benefits the projects.
✅ Provide structured and constructive feedback. Any writer, particularly a neurodivergent writer benefits from specific, detailed feedback that helps them understand how to improve their work.
➸ I would not know how to extract the value from the feedback if they are unclear, generic, or diplomatic.
✅ Recognize and embrace diverse writing styles and approaches. Neurodivergent individuals may have unique processes and perspectives.
➸ My processes help me offer my best. Anytime I am obliged to adopt a different process abruptly, I am unable to offer my full value.
Inclusion benefits the #team as a whole, enhancing #creativity and #productivity. What’s your take on building a neurodivergent-inclusive work environment?
❓ Are you neurodivergent? How have you adapted your style to thrive in a conventional system?
❓ Do you work with neurodivergent colleagues? How do you support them? Do you find value in their distinctive style?