The world of sameness has been tilted off its axis.
Appreciating your uniqueness today is what will make your organisation succeed tomorrow.
There’s never been a better time to think differently about different thinking.
Don’t just put diversity, inclusion & belonging on your to-do list;
Make appreciating the differences you have now your imperative!
Now more than ever before, organisations that build more diverse idea networks across their workforces will outperform those that battle to retain the status quo or attempt to return to pre-COVID ways of collaborating. This doesn’t just mean bringing-in greater diversity, but also seeking-out and appreciating the differences that already exist within your teams.
Building these internal networks requires that we become more conscious of our unconscious biases and simply make what’s hidden inside people’s heads more visible - it’s time to harness the power of different minds and value their unique (and much needed) contribution as they do what they do naturally.
This cohort is collectively known as the Neurodiverse - people with minds wired differently from most that, if uncovered, unlocked & unleashed can answer questions, solve problems, make connections & devise creative ideas, and work with a focus most Neurotypicals can never match. Diversity of thought & thinking transcends traditional and 20th Century D&I arguments - regardless of gender, skin colour, ethnic background & orientation, we all have a brain; some are wired differently. Unlocking & unleashing this difference (& celebrating all its glorious potential) holds the secret to greater team performance and employee experience.
Yet, we exclude and hinder different thinkers at work. Indeed, author Thomas Armstrong said:
Humans have tended to use significantly more positive language when discussing cultural diversity or biodiversity than when discussing neurodiversity.
It’s no surprise then that our organisations simply aren’t designed to support the way some people naturally think and behave, and our leaders are often unaware of the impact their own preferences and biases have on neurodiverse staff. As a result, when they ‘fail’ to fit in, are seen as awkward, difficult, problem-children we make the neurodiverse feel like failures when in fact it’s our systems, norms and expectations that fail to capitalise on their genius potential.