I love this quote from Judy Singer, “Neuro-inclusion is about creating workplaces where all kinds of brains can thrive, not just survive.” I think we’d all agree that’s what we want for our workplaces. But if we’re being honest, we’re not fully there yet.
Neurodiversity and how it shows up in the workplace have only recently been an open discussion. Previously, there was a lot of stigma, negativity and secrecy around it. We want to change that narrative. But how?
Fear of the unknown can create anxiety and avoidance around these conversations so I want to share with you a tool to give you the confidence to talk about neurodiversity in the workplace. When we talk about it, we create a culture of acceptance and support while learning about individuals and the diversity in their thinking and work processes.
Your most valuable tool in having non-judgmental conversations is curiosity.
Curiosity as a Neuro-Inclusivity Tool
When we step into a curious mindset, we move away from assumptions and explore what is happening to build understanding. We open our minds to other possibilities than the ones we would have jumped to first. We go from certainty to inquiry and that’s key for appreciating differences. We aren’t assuming everyone is having the same thoughts and experiences as we are, making room for differences.
Just because you are being curious doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything. The point is you build understanding first so you can respond in the most appropriate way. You’re gathering context before dismissing an idea, making a correction or blaming an individual. You might find no correction is needed. You might find a new solution together. At the very least, you will be able to explain why an idea isn’t possible without putting the person down.
There are so many benefits to leading with curiosity.
- Curiosity reduces harmful assumptions. It creates space between noticing something and judging it, where you explore other possibilities. For example, a colleague isn’t making eye contact during a meeting. Does that mean they aren’t paying attention? Or does it help them to concentrate and process large amounts of information?
- Curiosity helps you tailor support for individuals. Not everyone needs the same conditions to thrive. When you’re curious about each team member, you gather information about different working styles and how they do their best, not just cope.
- Curiosity creates psychological safety. When you ask questions about someone, they see that you want to understand them, will accept their differences and can be trusted with any challenges they want to disclose. You give them permission to be honest and be themselves.
- Curiosity invites innovation. You give neurodivergent professionals the opportunity to share their unconventional perspectives and problem-solving skills, shining new light on situations.
- Curiosity supports adaptability over control. Instead of enforcing one way of working that doesn’t suit everyone, curiosity allows for different ways of working that suit individuals and could achieve an even better result.
The Curiosity Equation to Guide Your Next Conversation
Curiosity allows us to treat differences as data, not a deficit. Here’s a formula for putting that principle into practice.
Curiosity = Pause + Question + Openness
Pause so you don’t act on immediate assumptions and biases.
Question what is going on to collect data and context.
Keep an open mind to learning about and adjusting to differences.
It seems simple but when you start doing it intentionally, you’ll realise that it’s not necessarily our automatic response. Whenever I share this with teams, I have leaders telling me how surprised they were about what came out of these curious conversations. There were things they didn’t know and things colleagues hadn’t felt comfortable saying yet. Now they know they can offer support.
Curiosity is such a powerful response to differences in the workplace. As a leader, it enables you to learn about what is happening, why it’s happening and how you can best handle it. For your team members, it makes them feel safe and supported and like they are in an environment where they belong.
For further guidance in using curiosity to create a neuro-inclusive workplace, download the recording of the webinar I did on this topic. It includes more details about what we have covered here and a 30-day challenge for immediately implementing these learnings to create meaningful change. I’ll send you the webinar for free if you sign up HERE.
