Natural Problem Solvers

A single bumble bee is a great symbol of a being, a creative problem solver (of hives and honey), and an illustration of human dependency on nature, for our health and well-being.? Bees are an indicator species, meaning that their vibrancy on earth reflects certain environmental conditions and aids in gauging the health of ecosystems.? They remind me to examine the problems in our environment and society and prompt me into action.? With that in mind, let’s get to know our intricate friends.? With up to 60,000 bumblebees living in a single hive, each with their own specific, individual roles, there is much to be learned from the beautifully sophisticated, organized lives of bees.

As our natural environment quickly approaches chaos and instability, we can look at them and reconsider our roles, individually, and how we as colonies of people contribute to the Earth’s volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.? Just as a bee is interdependent of humans and pollinators, we are interdependent irrespective of our differences and our unique identities.? It is important to support disabled and neurodivergent people to engage in society.? We who are disabled and neurodivergent people deserve to have equal opportunities to study and work.? We have knowledge and experience that could lead to new scientific advances and new discoveries.? When truly diversity teams understand and value each other, it will lead to greater collaboration to address global challenges through Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility.?

As humans, we are a diverse collection of differences. Nobody is normal and we need to make a stand to normalise differences and celebrate them.? The World Health Organisation states “Over 1 billion people are estimated to live with some form of disability. this corresponds to about 15% of the world’s population, with up to 190 million (3.8%) people aged 15 years and older having significant difficulties in functioning, often requiring healthcare services.”?

I am part of the club, I am visually impaired wearing my sunflower lanyard to raise awareness leading to acceptance, and I also neurodivergent (autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic).? I successfully graduated in 1995 and now work for an international multidisciplinary consultancy GHD based in their London office.? I am a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining, a Chartered Geologist, a European Geologist and a Fellow of the Institute of Diversity and Equality Professionals.? I have 20+ years of professional experience working for UK-based international consultancies on ground engineering projects.? I specialize in ground risk and uncertainty and works on geotechnical engineering aspects for international and national projects from desk study to closure.?

Also at work, I chair our Neurodiversity Employee Research Group and work with our People Team to support and empower colleagues across the business. In addition, I am serving as a Geological Society Vice President for Equity Diversity and Inclusion and a former committee member of several other national executives.? He is the inaugural co-chair of the EqualEngineers Neurodiversity Network.? Finally, I am a mentor, blogger, advisor and collaborator with several UK universities and academics on the acceptance of neurodiversity in STEM.?

All that is to say, people who are neurodivergent or disabled are mothers, fathers, friends, and loved ones.? So why do we see them so differently when it comes to the workplace?? There are still stigmas around employing someone with a disability or who is neurodivergent, and a lot of companies can be less than welcoming. Why are such people within work such a surprise even today?? We all desire to be welcomed and supported, and we can all become discouraged at times when we do not connect with our peers or feel that our ideas and contributions are not given the same weight as their peers.? As humans, we have meaning and purpose in our lives when we are part of something bigger.?We are generally happier, feel more in control and get more out of what they do when we contribute.

Therefore, it is also vital to keep in mind that a?lack?of diversity where we are can have a negative impact. ?For example, not only will the Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (STEM) employment sector workplaces miss out on the benefits enumerated above; a lack of diversity may drive higher attrition and (lower retention) and higher masking (lower authenticity) —and in my opinion it will not just due to one two departing.?The onlooker experience, where people who are neurodivergent or disabled are turned off by observing inequities against others, could generate discomfort and lead to a decision to leave the sector.?This impact may be more pronounced among younger particularly of Generation Z, who typically place an extremely high value on social responsibility in all its forms.

Ongoing work is needed, both theoretically and empirically, to develop a body of knowledge related to diversity to the STEM employment sector.?Most importantly, new structures and imaginative frameworks are needed to move beyond old paradigms and limited ways of thinking forward.?This will involve people from different cognitive backgrounds who see things in very different ways. There are inherent dangers that homogenous organisations carry silently with them, and shows how organisations are better at solving complex problems when they bring insights from different regions of the “problem space”.?Working together, will?propel innovation in a practical diversity which will help the organisations create systems in which diverse people are able to thrive, and to help the Society do likewise.

As we move forward, it is important that we strive to pursue diversity over tokenism. Most of us would instinctively say yes to diversity, for ethical and cultural reasons, and probably work harder than we used to at diversifying our workplaces, membership, and communities inappropriate ways. But things are complicated. It is very easy for tokenism to slip in, whereby we want to diversify the platform without diversifying the power.?This almost always makes things worse, because it convinces the majority that there is no problem (the “I have a gay friend” defence), and the minority that we are papering over the real issues.

We may also prize visible diversity (sex, ethnicity) over invisible diversity (class, education, marital status): we try to avoid photos or websites featuring all male or all white faces, but don’t notice invisible diversity anything like as much, even if at a cultural level it matters more. (Whom do I have more in common with: my white graduate who went to the same university as me and now works alongside me, or a single black female who left school at sixteen and now works as a laboratory technician working in an inner city.) So it is crucial to ask?why?we want more diverse workplaces, membership involvement, communities, and then apply our answer as consistently as possible.

So when we use the word diversity in relation to community, traditionally we have thought only in terms of race, religion, and gender; these attributes are purely demographic factors.?This is a legacy from an era when diversity primarily within the context of legal protections for traditionally disadvantaged groups.?Now diversity applies to the entire range of human attributes where deep-level diversity is key.?This includes, but not limited to personality, race, thinking style, ethnicity, working style, nationality, worldview, gender, religion, age, socioeconomic background, disability, sexual orientation, and language. Indeed, there are several advantages to focusing on deep-level diversity as opposed to demographic factors.?

1.????Diversity promotes an environment of mutual respect

Through our relationships with people of different backgrounds, abilities, perspectives, and cultures, Each of us gain respect for the unique abilities and ideas other people bring to the table.

2.????Marginalized groups gain empowerment through diversity of all people

When people who have previously been shut out of workplaces and society due to overt or unintentional bias have access to the incorrect background or the funded training, must be empowered to participate in the decision making and everyone benefits.

3.????Mutual respect reduces conflict between people

When people with diverse backgrounds learn and work together and get to know and respect one another, the potential for conflict is reduced and conflict resolution is easier.?Less conflict results in a more positive learning environment for all members.

4.????Diversity enhances the STEM sector reputation and opportunity to one and all

Many organizations are placing the great value of Equity and Divinity and Inclusion.? This includes placing emphasis on high ethical behaviour, fair opportunities practices, and appreciation of diversity are better able to retain staff—and show relevance to those outside the sector. Building a great reputation benefit both outside the workplace and all its employees, through increased STEM awareness and opportunity.

5.????Diversity increases opportunities for growth of STEM sector and individual

A diverse STEM sector is a huge advantage for serving science and engineering and the profession. We all benefit through additional networking development and professional development opportunities.

6.????Each of us learn from one another in a diverse STEM sector

Exposure to different kinds of people allows not only greater understanding but can also help the younger ones develop new skills and knowledge. Older ones can benefit from the technological savvy of younger graduates, for example, while younger workers benefit from older one’s years of experience.

Deep-level diversity focuses on the individual, allowing a much more granular understanding of human diversity compared to adopting traditional demographic variables which perpetuate stereotypical and prejudiced characterisation.?In a time of uncertainty and change for the geoscience community, diverse perspectives are required to benefit one and all.?Regardless of whether you focus on bright- or dark-side personality characteristics, motives, and values, or indeed creativity, group differences are trivial when compared with?differences between individuals, even when the individuals are part of the same group.

People with disability and / or neurodivergent need to be recognised, celebrated, and seen. We need to be within a welcoming community and workforce just as able-bodied people are. If we don’t see people with a disability in the workforce, how can we visualise an inclusive future? Those with a disability and / or neurodivergent have new and fresh ideas, motivation, and inspiration to carry others along when weneed it. By acknowledging the barriers, a disabled person may have faced and how we have overcome them with support, we can be seen as a role model within a workforce for others to look up to.

We should not have to choose to have to disclose to a prospective employer the nature of our disability, but avoiding doing so can cause issues long term. There is a need to remove the worry and concern about disclosing the nature of a person’s disability so that employers get the opportunity to provide support in the correct way. As a society, we need to be making these changes so everyone has a fair and equal chance and access to pursue their career of choice.

As humans we all have our limitations. Not every job can be tailored to suit an individual’s needs. There are risk assessments that need to be put in place to keep everyone safe, therefore it is important that you communicate your needs to your employer. There is a stigma behind the reason as to why you wouldn’t tell your possible future boss of a barrier/disability you have. Mainly due to the thought that it could possibly put your application at risk. However, without having an open, honest conversation about your circumstances, we would not understand how, as an employer, they could help you.

Everyone looks for different things in potential employers. High up on that list are the ones who understand and communicate with their staff members. We no longer want to feel like a number on the payroll, we want to be celebrated for our individuality regardless of ability or disability and to feel appreciated and heard. Think of it this way: maybe there is a possibility of something becoming an issue within your work environment, possibly not straight away, but in the future. How could they, as an employer, cater for our needs? ?What procedures do they have in place for accessibility, communication or training, then you may have just solved that issue before it even becomes a problem.

Those with a disability and / or neurodivergent are nature’s problem solvers. We live in a world that was designed without them in mind. The world never gave them the option not to be. We are under-recognized and woefully underutilised. The barriers that we have had to overcome, the skills and knowledge we have developed, along with their perspective, are invaluable. We do more than tick a diversity box.

As an employer, many reasonable adjustments involve little or no cost. You could start by making adaptations to a disabled person’s working pattern – certain hours may better suit the candidate. Providing support through a mentor or training. Write all communication in plain English. Making alterations to premises or allowing them to work on the ground floor for accessibility. Modifying of some equipment, such as office chairs and keyboards.

The population is aging, and the number of disabled people is increasing. Smart companies will realize that a lot of people with disabilities and / or neurodivergent are their consumer base and should reflect this in their workplace. Disabled and neurodivergent people are hugely diverse, and have different ideas, thought processes, and experiences. Organizations that realize the talent that disabled people have, who recognize the qualities their companies need, and how people who are disabled and/or neurodivergent can contribute, give them a competitive edge that is key for business, for all.

If we are to learn anything from the bees, though, we must act quickly. Over the past decade, we have witnessed alarming declines in bee hives around the world, and our native pollinating species are suffering enormous losses as well.? By identifying challenges and leveraging strengths, we can develop actionable strategies to create a more inclusive and innovative workforce, benefiting one and all in society.? Therefore, we should strive to celebrate the strengths and minimize challenges as the best practice for individuals to contribute and engage in the workplace and society.?

Likewise, it is hoped the research will provide additional insights for all while living in an era in which the world is full of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity problems such as climate change, post-pandemic economics, national conflicts, global hostility, and extreme fundamentalism.? For example, as steel is stronger than iron; alloys are always superior, so it is when neurodivergent engineers work alongside neurotypicals thereby demonstrating the advantages of diverse teams with the absence of monolithic diversity.? By neurotypicals dovetailing alongside neurodivergent colleagues, strengths will be good for everyone in society.? When truly diverse teams understand and value each other, it will lead to greater collaboration to address global challenges through Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility.?

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