Image: University of Washington
In your work on teams, have you ever been surprised by someone else’s ability to see patterns in data? Or when someone has pointed out a detail that everyone else has missed? Have you been struck by team members’ ability to see things differently, and the value that’s added to the team?
So much of my work with clients is built around the concept of seeking understanding of life experiences and perspectives outside our own; that our collective unique diversity and diverse unity add immeasurable value to our teams. While some of our differences are the visible tip of the iceberg, the vast majority are under the surface. That is certainly true with issues of neurodiversity.
If you are neurotypical (described as “an individual who thinks, perceives, and behaves in ways that are considered the norm by the general population”), topics like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and executive function may be confusing and daunting – they may also just be enough outside your world that you’ve never had any direct reason to spend time learning about them. You may even look as dyslexia as simply ‘can’t read’ or ADHD as ‘can’t focus.’ That wouldn’t be your fault. But it missing the whole context and value of what those people can offer.
If you’re a manager, you may well have been promoted with no formal manager training, and even if you did receive training, it likely didn’t focus much on neurodiversity. And yet, it’s estimated that up to 8 million adults in the US have ADHD (5% of the working population), while dyslexia affects 20% of the population, and is the most common neuro-cognitive disorder. Chances are, one or more members of your team are neuroatypical; you may not know it, and in fact, they might not either! (In fact, you might be neuroatypical yourself, and not know it! As I’ve learned more about neurodiversity in recent months as my wife has been earning a graduate certificate on understanding and supporting diverse learners, I’ve considered that I may well have dyslexia and/or ADHD.)
So how does this affect your work as a manager? Well, despite outdated stigmas, neuroatypical individuals often not only lead successful and productive careers, they also contribute insight and perspectives to teams that are otherwise missed. It’s often been said that dyslexic individuals make great spies because they notice things that others miss; indeed, the UK’s GCHQ look specifically for dyslexic thinkers for their intelligence analyst teams. So too do NASA, Microsoft, SAP, and so many more organizations also seek neuroatypical individuals to join their teams for their unique skillsets. As the Harvard Business Review put it, neurodiversity is a “competitive advantage” for your team.
In a later article we’ll look at a particular framework that can be helpful when working with ADHD team members and talk about ways you can incorporate some of what you’re learning with your team more directly, but in the meantime, what can you do this week to broaden your understanding of neurodiversity?
This Week’s Tip:
Seek out resources to understand neurodiversity in a new way – in particular, dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. Podcasts and video series such as Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking and ADHD Essentials are great easy-access places to get started. Read or watch more about the strengths that neuroatypical people bring to a team, and the strengths that come from thinking differently. Learn about the multitude of successful figures throughout history with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. Personal stories are invaluable – if this is a new exploration for you, though, find those first-person stories through research online (or through your local library); save any conversations with your team members until further on down the road, after you’ve engaged in your own work.
Try this out this week, and let us know how it goes. We’d love to hear from you!
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Building Bridges Leadership 