The Importance of Vulnerability & Transparency

As many as 76% of neurodivergent individuals choose not to disclose their diagnosis to their employer. Undoubtedly, there is still prevalent stigma and ableism within the workplace, and it is not surprising that some individuals don't want to bring their whole selves to work.

And yet, there is an incredible strength in being who you are. Professor and Author Brene Brown captures this so perfectly in her TED talk 'The Power of Vulnerability', which is one of the most watched TED talks of all time. In it, Brene explains that those who felt the greatest sense of love and belonging in her research were the people who had the courage to be imperfect. And in that sense we are all imperfect; there will always be someone more skilled than us, or more knowledgeable than us, even in areas and skills we are great at. Brene suggests that embracing that vulnerability to be comfortable with who we are can be key to personal success.

I get to see people embrace some elements of vulnerability almost every day in the neurodiversity sector; some people ask for some extra time to think over a problem; some might ask you to spell a word you have just said; and others may attend meetings with their cameras off. There are so many vulnerable traits that people demonstrate, and in my opinion, this allows them to focus on more important things like deliverables and wellbeing. If you are not worrying about asking for time to think about a problem, you will be able to give your best solution to it. If you're not worrying how to spell a word, you will pick up more of the tone and message, and if you are not worrying about how you appear on camera, you can concentrate more on your meeting.

As Brene says: "When we work from a place...that says, 'I'm enough', then we stop screaming and start listening, We're kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we're kinder and gentler to ourselves."

The biggest step you can take to support individuals to fully embrace themselves is to create psychological safety. Psychological safety is the belief that you won't be punished or reprimanded for your thoughts, opinions or actions.

Here are some ways you can help promote psychological safety:

Share Lived Experiences

It is very likely that if you are not neurodivergent yourself, you likely know someone who is. Having conversations and sharing stories can allow others to see that you value neurodiversity and the importance of listening to the lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals.

Implement Adjustments on an Individual Level

Although we think of adjustments as an organisational responsibility, some are very easy to implement within both personal and working relationships. For example, following up a conversation with written information to help minimise challenges with working memory, or sending a voice note rather than a text message to minimise challenges with the processing of written information.

Signpost to Resources

If you know of resources an individual may benefit from, don't assume they will already know. There are so many incredible content creators, charitable organisations and sources of support that could be valuable to neurodivergent individuals and/or their families.

Become an Ally

An ally is often defined as someone who is not a member of a marginalised group but wants to support and take action to help others in that group. There are may different ways you can become an ally:

• Call out discrimination if you see it.
• Become a confidant for someone.
• Get involved with your Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
• Use your own time or personal resources to support neuro-inclusion.
• Most importantly, listen and learn from what your neurodivergent peers are telling you about their experiences.

This article was written by Mellissa O'Byrne, Consulting Business Psychologist at Lexxic