Dr. Kelly Lambert handles a preserved human brain in her lab at the University of Richmond in ... [+]
I think of nontypical thinkers (people who identify as ADHD, dyslexic or autistic) as having quietly disrupted the workplace for years. I know I did, even before I was diagnosed with ADHD. We’re innovators and we are deeply affected by our work environments—the more flexible, equitable and supported I feel, the more productive I am. It makes sense that my mental health thrives when I am working on a project I am passionate about. (Notice how I didn't say I thrive when everyone agrees with me or works the way I do). I actually don’t care much for workplace norms—which is baffling and frustrating for most managers.
Scientists like Dr. Kelly Lambert, a neuroscientist at the University of Richmond, agree, and are dedicated to finding out what lights up the brain. Studying what helps not-so-average folks and how to be more inclusive benefits everyone in the long run, say experts. This could be called a manager’s dilemma—or their latest passion project.
The latter is a positive way to look at inclusion. I wish I heard more people talking about inclusion this way. It allows leaders to ask an important question. How can people on the edges of work—outsiders and nonconformists—help make work more productive for everyone?
“If you can talk positively about your position on inclusion and say it out loud, it’s going to be a lot easier for job seekers and managers to navigate and understand what you as a company offer people that’s different and exciting,” says Yvonne Cowser Yancy, chief administrative officer and head of workplace at Understood.org. She takes this positive approach to supporting and including neurodivergent thinkers.
This piece begins a conversation about how too much typical thinking holds us back. I’ve chosen to highlight three of the most intractable issues out there, particularly for ADHD minds (both atypical and neurodivergent) like mine. The issues include proper healthcare, flexibility at work, and prevention of burnout. If we can recognize how important solving these issues are, we can help the talent we have, and the 80% of workers with invisible disabilities such as ADHD waiting to be hired. Let’s get started:
1. The Hidden Search for Help
Research shows few workers self-identify or disclose a learning disability, ADHD, or mental health concern to an employer. Even after several years of the pandemic, employees are uncomfortable talking to their managers or supervisors about mental health and some fear talking about it could get them fired or furloughed. (A separate issue but one that is equally problematic is that many people haven’t been formally diagnosed with ADHD or dyslexia or wouldn’t know how to get a diagnosis.)
Companies have made mental health a priority at the top levels. Still, even when leadership says it’s a focus, people in lower-level positions aren’t seeing changes. People told me in interviews that they only talk to their peers about concerns over locating a mental health practitioner or an ADHD expert, for instance. The stress over their health doesn’t make it to most managers. Being left in the dark can lead to a lack of understanding between managers and employees. Met with silence, trust begins to break down. Suddenly, offers for flexible work schedules are off the table. The employee starts to feel threatened and the vicious cycle begins.
Neurodivergent At Work In a situation like this with so much secrecy, where does an employee turn to know their rights? It’s common for people who learn and think differently to say they don’t think of themselves as disabled. The Americans with Disabilities Act, which could offer legal protections at work, is barely on their radar. I am not sure why that is, but I’m not alone in thinking so. In a story I recommend reading, a Chicana mother from California who is a doctoral candidate explains this feeling: “I disclosed having ADHD long before I realized that I was disclosing a disability. It was in my ‘fun facts’ list on my first day of orientation.” If you sense resistance to formally filing for accommodations at school or work, you are correct. Not only is it expensive to get a diagnosis, but it also requires endless paperwork and may even open you up to bias and veiled harassment from professors and coworkers.
The Manager’s Dilemma We need to teach open-mindedness to move past discriminatory practices. That’s the goal of THIS CAN HAPPEN, a U.K.-based conference and resource for the inclusion curious who want to act to create change. For concrete examples of how to talk to an employee about accommodations in the U.S., I suggest AskJAN.org. The site offers an A-to-Z resource guide and case studies that demystify dozens of common scenarios that managers may encounter in supporting people with learning differences and ADHD. The Bowman Center for Workplace Equity and Mental Wellness is another resource for HR professionals.
2. The Golden Clock and Flexible Schedules
In 2001, a researcher at Penn State Abington’s found more than 27% of workers had flexible work schedules and that “the probability that a worker has such flexibility is reduced by being female, non-white and less educated.” In 2016, Golden’s research found that when employees have agency over their time—when to make up missed hours due to a doctor’s appointment—they are more productive. The Golden Clock, as it has been dubbed, is particularly helpful for hourly workers' happiness.
Neurodivergent At Work: A Golden Clock could truly help people with learning and thinking differences. ADHD is complex and paradoxical. ADHD minds are known for their hyper-focus and at times, their total lack of focus. We can be supermotivated and suffer from analysis paralysis or avoidance. Then there’s a straight-up shame, such as being embarrassed that my therapist is only available at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays or that the workouts that supercharge my brain—swimming and boxing—are only available during commute time. Returning to work in an office could be hellish without these accommodations. If I could stagger my schedule and come it at 10—that would be my Golden Clock scenario. To be honest, a schedule that allows for exercise every day and weekly counseling or coaching is a smart idea for all workers. But from lived experience, I know that it’s a non-negotiable for peak performance for ADHD brains like mine.
The Manager’s Dilemma: ‘Flexible working is our norm’, is the wording Lisa Kepinski and Tinna Nielsen, founders of the Inclusion Nudges Initiative. It should be an automatic organization-wide standard text in all communication. This signals to employees that you trust that they make purposeful, independent choices about how, when, and where they put in their time. Building a culture of inclusion and flexibility starts in the recruitment process, write Kepinski and Nielsen, founders of the Inclusion Nudges Initiative. They suggest building an inclusion nudge into job applications. They also recommend designing online recruiting forms for hiring managers that have flexible working as the pre-selected default for the job format and advertising all jobs at all levels that explicitly promote flexible working in the description.
3. How to Manage Hyperfocus and High Performers
Burnout is an issue nationwide—but we rarely talk about the fact that ADHD-ers and other neurodivergent talent who hyper-focus are super-susceptible to burnout. ADHD-ers often don’t know how to hit the brakes on the way downhill. Many like highly structured work and excel in these positions where the rules are clear, the management is on top of their game and the work keeps their minds working at full capacity. These high expectations and high-stress jobs often help ADHD-ers perform at their highest levels. But fear of being fired or not staying on top of work leads to serious overwork tendencies. Even when we want to relax, our brains are going a mile a minute.
ADHD At Work Look closely and you can spot nontraditional workers often purposefully ignoring your hairy eyeball. They work the way they prefer even when they get pushback. I do it. The tweaks I use help me to be consistently successful. If a job requires deep focus, I work with the door closed or skip big meetings and ask a co-worker to take notes for me. (Yes, I return the favor when they feel overwhelmed). Other neurodivergent minds I know swear by color-coding files and putting sticky notes on anything that won’t catch on fire. (Avoid lamps, trust me.) Some people keep their cameras off during long video meetings so they can fidget or pace. I’ve been derided for printing out materials or bringing a tablet or laptop to a meeting. It looks rude or seems wasteful to some. It’s essential for me. This way I can look at a document closely. (Make an extra copy if you are going to a meeting in person. Inevitably the person next to you will say, Oooh, that’s so helpful. Do you have an extra printout?
The Manager’s Dilemma The best advice for managers who want to understand different thinkers and accommodate them is to give people short breaks on the job and longer stretches (days off in a row) to recover and relax. People like me tend to overwork and hyper-focus, so you may find yourself begging them to take days for themselves. Studies of people who say they suffer from burnout often show they have many of the same symptoms as ADHD-ers who have been pushed to the limit: brain fog, depression, and anxiety. Others say they feel boxed in. Whether you are a more typical or atypical worker, the idea of having all your individuality and difference stripped away is at the core of burnout.
Now is it clear? This one-size-fits-all employee treatment is holding too many companies back. Finding ways to be more human, caring, and flexible is a sure path back to innovation. There’s not much hope in hoping for a return to the typical way of doing things. It’s time to hire more brainy nonconformists.
