How affinity groups support neurodiversity
Hustle Crew
Since we launched in 2016 we’ve helped ambitious people in tech and beyond take their careers to the next level.
In This Week’s Email
Have you ever been in a challenging situation where you think to yourself – there must be someone else who is facing the same challenges as me??
In the current working world, most people are quick to gloss over the fact that some individuals will process differently or view a situation in a different way.
Be it writing a creative brief, a proposal, code or sales pitch – each individual can have their own internal hurdles – such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia – to name but a few.
None of these attributes should be seen as detrimental in terms of ways of working – they don’t limit an individual – that person just processes in a different way. And that’s fine! Who wants to all be the same anyway? Creativity comes from problem-solving and viewing the world through different lenses.?
Different types of processing can be challenging, especially in the workforce. Unlike a physical disability, neurodiversity can’t be seen – and so can sometimes be overlooked or played down. It is important that individuals who do process differently are made to feel as important as their peers.
Systems should be put in place to allow them to grow within the workplace, and not feel like they are less worthy just because John from accounting was able to solve the puzzle first.?
Take Mike Tickle for example – a key player within the British Dyslexia Association. Tickle found out he was dyslexic at university, so when he entered the workforce he wondered if there were others in the same position. He realised there were and so decided to set up support groups which helped employers identify that certain ways of working would need to be adapted to accommodate different ways of learning.?
Gina Calder, a healthcare worker, found that she was able to grow within her industry when she found support from her network. “I was…learning directly from mentors on how to do things and how not to do things—and really wanted the opportunity to provide that kind of guidance and support and coaching to other people, especially women and women of color and young women.”
Calder decided to run a few support circles, which in time were picked up by Lean In Circle. Since starting, more than 300 women leaders have participated in and benefitted from the programme, and there are even plans in place for the first all-male Lean In Circle. Creating these types of programmes allows an individual to grow within their field, and not feel like they are constantly being compared to their peers.
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