What is neurodiversity and how are companies thinking about it?
It is being considered more and more to build productive teams and happier employees.
Listen in today and get tips from the forefront of a major global business shift.
We’ll discuss with our guest how we think about the human mind.
Awareness of this is growing so listen in to be up-to-speed on neurodiversity.
Who is Ed Thompson?
In today’s episode, Lindsay has a guest, Ed Thompson.
Ed is the founder and CEO of Uptimize, a leading neuro-inclusion company.
Their mission is to help organizations embrace and leverage every type of thinker.
He was born and raised in London and was educated at the University of Oxford.
He and his company have been featured by outlets including LinkedIn, BBC, People Management Magazine, Financial Times, and HR.com.
Ed lives in Colorado, the same state as Lindsay.
What is neurodiversity?
Lindsay asks Ed what neurodiversity is.
Neurodiversity is the understanding that people’s brains are wired differently.
There aren’t two brains that are alike.
When it comes to brains, there is no ‘normal.’
Every brain works differently which shows how people have different preferences.
There are many people that identify as neurodivergent.
They may have dyslexia, autism, ADHD, etc.
Someone who is neurodivergent is different in some way from the overall majority.
There are people that would have very specific ways to do things.
Lindsay mentions it is so refreshing to know that we are finally paying attention to this.
Diversity and inclusion
Inclusivity in the workplace is a battle that has been fought for many years.
Neurodiversity is now being considered in the movement for inclusivity.
People have been discussing online how neurodivergent individuals have been marginalized in the workplace.
This movement amplifies people who are experiencing challenges in the business world.
With the boom of technology, hiring roles that have specific skills and mindsets have created a push for this movement.
There are more and more businesses that are adapting to this.
Ed mentioned that the U..S has been slow to acknowledge neurodivergence.
Leverage neurodivergence
Today you’ll learn some tips from Ed Thompson on how to be more inclusive in the workplace and consider neurodivergence.
You can introduce this to your own organization if they aren’t aware of how to leverage different types of capabilities.
#1: Talk about it
First, you can discuss your own brain’s wiring and thinking style.
Encourage open conversations about how those you work with think.
You don’t have to be an expert on diagnostic labels.
As a manager, you have to adjust to the differences of your team.
If you’re treating your team a certain way because that’s what you do, it may not work for everyone.
You can communicate and ask your team members what is easy for the team in terms of learning instructions and execution.
#2: Live the values
Whether or not you know if there are neurodivergent people on your team, being inclusive is vital.
When you onboard people and share the values of your company culture, inclusivity must be prioritized.
It is then vital to make sure employees embrace and model these values.
You do not want to create a working environment that is hostile or unsafe for anyone.
It’s very simple but it can turn a workplace around.
Being inclusive and mindful of your team will help you optimize each person’s skillset.
You will drive better neuro-inclusion by living the values of your workplace truthfully.
#3: Hire consciously
Hiring people is crucial in building a good team.
Intentional hiring is key.
You must assess what type of skills will be valuable to a team.
If you want someone who has good social skills and good insight, you must set up recruitment to make sure you hire a good match.
You must frame the interviews to filter the right people for your team.
Takeaway
Comfort at work is very important.
You want people to be their best selves on the job.
If you are a forward-thinking company and you want to be innovative, you have to be inclusive and mindful of different types of people.
If you want to get more resources from Ed, you can check out his book, entitled:
A Hidden Force: Unlocking the Potential of Neurodiversity at Work.
It reflects his entire journey in this space.
You can also check out his company’s website: https://uptimize.com/
What other things in Business English do you want to learn?
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