How embracing neurodiverse talents can transform your workplace

Last week I attended Bupa's virtual thought leadership event ‘How embracing neurodiverse talents can transform your workplace’. This was with Mike Knapp, who spoke to his own lived experience of autism and ADHD.

While it didn’t cover everything (obviously) it’s good to see these conversations happening in the corporate space, with lived experience central.

Some of my takeaways:

→ Employers have a responsibility to protect unique brains in the workplace and create a safe, welcoming environment.

→ Build trust. A neurodivergent executive showing openness can set the tone for the whole organisation.

→ Raise awareness in any way you can, whether that’s hosting events or distributing flyers around the workplace.

→ Traditional leadership styles don’t necessarily lead to the best outcomes.

→ Be tolerant of ‘roughness around the edges’, whether that be anxiety, bluntness, perceived negativity or something else.

→ Lead with vulnerability (e.g. leaders disclose first). This makes it easier for junior employees to speak up.

→ Build and promote internal communities.

→ Provide explicit guidelines around what is and isn’t acceptable with things like switching off or participation in meetings. It can be challenging when the rules are not always interpreted or acted upon equally; the fuzziness is where people struggle.

→ Have a curious attitude.

→ Be understanding and encouraging of accommodations, such as noise-cancelling headphones, letting people sit at the same desk every time, access to quiet spaces or allowing the turning off of cameras in Zoom meetings.