Are all Gen Z neurodiverse?
Before you send me angry messages, hear me out.
Just as we notice patterns in language that shows up in a survey - for instance, we might see Fox News lingo in the open-ended remarks of people of a certain demographic - I’ve wondered out loud about TikTok video(s) making the rounds.
In the past 3 weeks, I’ve had intense deja vu conversations with respect to neurodiversity at work.
??? The first is where I find myself being admonished for not catering to the needs of neurodiverse individuals (who skew young/GenZ and queer).
I haven’t provided the agenda or reflection questions in advance.
Or I have provided them in advance and that’s asking too much of a group who have a lot on their plate.
I haven’t provided enough time for small group connections and simultaneously haven’t covered enough content.
Did I not know that asking people to be on camera hurts them?
How credible am I, if I haven’t differentiated my facilitation for all the different learning needs in a group?
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I am leaning into white supremacist workplace values (specifically perfection and a sense of urgency) for putting deadlines in place.
The list goes on (and has at one point driven me to tears).
??? The second is a classic “arrrrrghhhhh, can you believe x is doing y” conversation with peers who are experiencing admonishment as well, and tend to skew older (read - millennial and Gen X).
How is it that after being in the workforce for nearly two decades (or more), we find ourselves somehow worse at supporting others?
What are we missing?
Are we asking for too much?
So I want to talk about Gen Z and their obsession adoption of neurodiversity as an identity.
Don't get me wrong, embracing diversity is amazing. Here's what I'm sitting with: are they doing it for the right reasons? Or are they just using it as an excuse to avoid asking for what they need?
I’m diving deeper into this topic tomorrow in my subscriber-only newsletter.
In the meantime, tell me about how you’re experiencing the rise in language around neurodiversity at work.?
Leading communications that drive engagement
1 年I find myself thinking about it from a systems perspective. Is everyone suddenly neurodiverse or are there conditions and structures in our modern workforce that cause large groups of people to need different modes of support?
Founder of 7 Forms of Respect and CEO of CuriosityBased | Bestselling Author | TEDx Speaker | Award-winning Community Leader
1 年Aparna R. I appreciate how you showed how there can be different interpretations to the same action (e.g., setting an agenda). This reinforces how one thing will always be true: we will never make everyone happy at the same time. I'm definitely learning more about neurodiversity in the workplace from Karen E. Brett Greene, MA Vanessa Osorio Brewster Laughlin and how to be cognizant of it.