Business change for good begins with neurodiversity
Accommodating neurodivergent staff remains a challenge that many companies shy away from – but they could be missing out on major boosts to productivity in the process. Eman Al-Hillawi, CEO of business change consultancy, Entec Si, explains the benefits of creating a more inclusive workplace.
A growing understanding and championship of what it means to be neurodiverse is reshaping the workplace for the better. At a time when the boundaries of technology, talent and consumer interests are shifting by the second, the varied talent and perspectives of a neurodiverse workforce open the door for greater innovation and creativity to the benefit of the business’ adaptability and ability to evolve through change programmes. It’s time for businesses to embrace the power of cognitive diversity and take steps to empower all employees to fulfil their potential.
From adopting new digital tools to adjusting services or products in line with evolving market trends, engaging different perspectives in problem-solving and decision making will only strengthen the business’ ability to positively react to change. This means involving both neurotypical (people who think and process in a socially or culturally expected way) and neurodivergent individuals (people who think and process in way that is considered atypical to social or cultural expectations) in change collaboration. As part of this effort, it’s important that businesses recognise the breadth of neurodiversity and the inadequacy of a ‘one-size-fits-all-approach' in maximising individual talent.
The valuable skills of many neurodivergent workers in particular is a growing area of study. A programme run in Australia found that teams including neurodivergent individuals were up to 30% more productive and elsewhere, analysis conducted by a neurodiverse research team at Birbeck, University of London, listed creativity, hyperfocus, detail processing and innovative thinking among the top strengths of neurodivergent workers, as identified by their employers. Such skills are essential for driving business change for good. For example, employees who are able to think critically or creatively could identify a better means of funding projects or improving customers’ user experience on the business’ website.
In the context of successful business change, for which strong collaborative working is essential, having a group of people with different approaches and perspectives is crucial. Firstly, this is because it’s counterproductive to action change without considering all the potential pinch points. Take the migration of an organisation’s data to a new system as an example.
Planning this change exclusively among the management team when the transition will impact everyone in the workforce means there could be people who cannot use the new system once implemented. In this approach, the digital change will only be considered from the perspective of a few, so only the pinch points they think of will be accounted for. Opening up discussions on the new system to the floor means unique barriers to adoption will be mitigated early on.
Engaging different minds in change also creates the opportunity to make better decisions about the change itself. For example, where workforce patterns need to be restructured due to external factors like the pandemic or increased service demand, gauging multiple opinions on how this change could be achieved successfully will narrow down the best path forward. This might include someone with good critical thinking spotting an area of the business that will become busier should working patterns adjust, or a more visual person exploring how different ways of working would make employees feel through ideas mapping. There’s no set route for change, but getting buy-in and engagement from the whole workforce is a good starting point.
So, how can organisations actually begin to support neurodiversity? For the most part it comes down to culture and the working environment. In their workplace analysis, the Birbeck researchers also discovered that neurodivergent employees cited the fear of stigma or discrimination from management and their colleagues, a lack of supportive or knowledgeable staff, and the inadequacy of existing support, as the biggest reasons for avoiding disclosure of their neurodivergence - or seeking support.
If people are to feel comfortable and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace, the organisation’s culture must be focused on championing different strengths and needs. Building an awareness of the workforce’s neurodiversity in natural ways, such as group brainstorming or collaborative working, can be as important as adjusting how people work and communicate, or signposting support.
Shaping the physical workplace to enable people to thrive is essential where feasible. Many organisations are still falling short of ‘neuroinclusion’ with a report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) showing that over 60% of employers are yet to make reasonable adjustments to roles or the working environment; just one third have provided education or raised awareness on neurodiversity in the past two years. Now is the time to change this narrative. Guidance on developing a neuroinclusive workplace is increasing with organisations such as The Brain Charity promoting measures to maximise individual performance. This includes allocating tasks that suit people’s strengths and establishing flexible working arrangements for neurodivergent staff - for example, by providing soundproofed booths for people with sensory sensitivities. No two experiences are the same so it’s also crucial for managers and leaders to determine personal barriers to productivity and make changes where possible.
Representation, as is well-documented, is vital too. The existence and celebration of neurodiversity from the top down is invaluable because it shows there’s no limits to unique thinking. It also ensures its benefits can be felt at every level of the organisation. Without embracing neurodiversity, the real value of business change fundamentally cannot be realised.
Eman Al-Hillawi is the CEO at business change consultancy, Entec Si.
