Using Neurodiversity As A Strength

Opening:
Great teams are not only made up of people who can work well together, they are made up of people with different talents and ideas who can combine those talents and ideas to reach a common goal. You likely have some range of neurodiversity on your team, even if you or they don’t know it. Regardless how do you make it a strength? By getting to know your team personally, providing a supportive work environment, pairing projects and duties with skills and interests.

Getting to know Your Team Personally
-What are their hobbies and interests
-When is their productive time? Early morning, afternoon, etc
-How do they process information and communicate?
-Personality style and communication style
Goals
Find out how they like to be rewarded

2. Providing a Supportive Work Environment
-How do they focus best? (Noise/no noise, group office/individual space)
-What tools and resources do they need? (Physical objects, organization, programs)
-How are they managed best? (Hands off or hands on supervisor)
-What systems and processes need to be set up for success

3. Pairing projects and duties with skills and interests
-Based on background and interests- how can you give someone a project that gets them excited?
-If someone is better at testing, or process improvements, business development, creative content
-Ask individuals to strategize the best way to do something, then be open to what they come up with
-Encourage team members to put their spin on a project or a proposal.
-Open new opportunities to the team to encourage growth and learning, allow them to take initiative

Getting Your Team to Trust Their Instincts

Opening:
Our instincts rarely lead us in the wrong direction. I generally find that we don’t listen to it for two reasons: direction from a superior or lack of information and clarity. Teams are made up of people with different jobs, different experiences, and different talents. For the most part, we trust our team members to do their job correctly and to the best of their ability. This means that when doing a new project or maybe an issue pops up, whats the best way to get the project done or find a solution? Team collaboration, right? Having a direction to go is a good thing, and the job of the supervisor or manager. But when a team member is hesitant on a piece of the plan, do the speak up or do they just put their head down and follow the directive? How do you foster an environment where they speak up? Give them your trust, support them, and encourage them.

Giving them Your Trust:
-Giving employees and team members your trust means getting to know them.
-Allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them with support and understanding
-Checking in to make sure things are going well and they aren’t hitting roadblocks
- Give them your time and attention if they bring you an issue or idea.

Support your team:
-mistakes will happen, show your team that its fixable and a learning experience
-Ask each individual what they need for a productive work environment
-Ask each individual what tools and resources they need to do their job (be open to why)
-Provide the time and space for them to give you feedback and what they are seeing
-Assume the positive. If a problem occurs, get their side of the story
-Get their feedback on issues, procedures and how they could be corrected/addressed/improved

Encourage them:
-When improving processes- get your teams input
-Encourage them to come forward if they have an idea
-Give them extra projects that cater to the specific things they are good at
-Ask how they would handle something, if needed work through it, and then let them handle (or voice concerns to they can consider new information)

ADHD is an Asset

ADHD is formally a disability, but from an insider perspective I don’t believe that.

Opening: Shifting perspective on the label, moving from disorder to difference in perspective
-People with ADHD process information different
- We make connections to things in different way
- Creative solutions are different, may push boundaries

2. An Asset to Every Team
- ADHD thinks differently, we are able to come up with innovative solutions
- With a supportive work environment, we can help the team thrive
- Lots of interests and talents allow us to mesh creativity into processes

3. How to provide a supportive environment
- Get to know the team member and ask them how they learn and work best
- Be flexible in their schedule
- Give them the creative space, when new idea’s proposed, help them develop