How Coaching Could Help Cultivate a More Neuroinclusive Culture

We have a saying in coaching: ‘People like people like them.’ We are hardwired to gravitate to those that are like us. This is often what leads to ‘group think’ within an organisation and can be at odds with an organisation’s expressed desire to recruit for differences (cognitive diversity).

This is a topic that Matthew Syed, the award-winning author and speaker, talks passionately about in his book Rebel Ideas:

‘Harnessing the power of diversity is set to become a key source of competitive advantage and the surest route to reinvention and growth. If we are intent upon answering our most serious questions, from climate change to poverty, and curing diseases to designing new products, we need to work with people who think differently, not just accurately.’

Judy Singer, often referred to as the ‘mother of neurodiversity’ offers a seemingly similar view: ‘Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general.’

Neurodiversity is the natural variation in human brain functioning and refers to the infinite range of differences in individual human brain function and behavioural traits.

While all brains are different, some people with broadly similar ways of thinking, communicating and processing information can have a sense of shared identity and experience – for example, an identity as autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic or as an ADHDer.

It is estimated that one in five individuals are neurodivergent in some way and if an individual has one identity, there is a 60% likelihood that they will have another.

Neurodiverse individuals can bring unique strengths to the workplace: innovative problem solving and creativity, attention to detail, resilience and adaptability, passion for and a deep interest in topics to name just a few. They can also experience executive functioning challenges in areas such as modulating emotions, organising / prioritising, and self-regulating.

Neurodiverse individuals often develop coping strategies, such as masking, to deal with challenges that they experience in the workplace. Not only can such strategies be exhausting and, in some cases, lead to burnout, anxiety, depression and imposter syndrome, but in a bid to appear more neurotypical, they can also dampen the strengths that make them brilliant.

What often seems to happen is that differences are recruited into an organisation, but the organisation is unable to harness the individual and collective power of those differences. This is supported by a recent survey by the CIPD that reveals that, although 83% of employers say the wellbeing of their people is a critical priority, and 70% say EDI is a critical priority for their organisation, just 60% say that neuroinclusion is a focus for their organisation. Furthermore, just over half (53%) of employees surveyed say their organisation has an open and supportive climate where employees can talk about neurodiversity.

The CIPD survey concludes that whilst what’s included under the umbrella of neurodivergence is debated, what is clear is that we need to do more to consider different thinking styles at work to be able to unleash individual and collective potential.

So, could coaching, a style associated with unleashing potential, help to close this gap?

It is well documented that coaching is an essential leadership behaviour. Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and journalist, who made the concept of emotional intelligence popular, stated more than 20 years ago that coaching was a leadership style highly correlated with a positive impact on performance, climate and, ultimately, an organisations bottom line. He also highlighted that it was, at the time, the least used style.

There has been a rise over recent years of organisations offering neurodiversity coaching for both individuals with neurodivergent brains and for leaders supporting them. We also know that many of the organisations that we support have developed their own internal coaching capability whilst also upskilling their leaders in the development of their coaching leadership style. However, we are also acutely aware that when leaders work at pace and under stress they can default to their preferred styles, often the more directive ones.

At its core, coaching is a non-directive approach that helps to unlock a person’s potential to maximise their own impact and help them to thrive. It therefore feels as though some of the key foundations of a coaching mindset could work towards reducing the gap between an organisation’s intent and their impact in relation to neuroinclusion. So how might leaders / internal coaches do this?

Demonstrate positive intent and a growth mindset

Assume that others have good intentions and are capable of growth. Be aware of your own biases and resist the temptation to make judgements regarding an individual’s intentions and potential.

Listen with empathy

 We often only listen until we have formulated a response to what the other person is saying, and then our attention turns to finding an opportunity to share our thinking.

Nancy Kline, a thought leader in listening and creating a thinking environment, talks about listening with ‘respect, interest and fascination’. If we give people our full attention, we are saying that they matter, and this is a sure way to demonstrating empathy and building trust.

The acronym WAIT (Why Am I Talking) can be helpful as leaders practice this underutilised, but critical leadership skill.

Lead with questions to enable choice and agency

Leaders have typically been rewarded for having answers and often feel that they need to have a significant amount of knowledge on neurodivergent identifies before feeling confident to have conversations with individuals that they lead. The reality is that this is an impossible ask, as even individuals with the same type of neurodivergence can experience it in very different ways.

Practice staying curious for a little bit longer, lead with questions and be confident that the individual will hold the best solution for themselves. They will be able to inform you of their communication preferences, sensory preferences, etc.

Adopt a strengths-based approach

Because we are hardwired for sameness, differences can sometimes be experienced as difficulties. Our brain’s natural negativity bias can be activated at a sub-conscious level and co-workers can more easily see areas of deficit rather than abundance.

Neurodivergent thinkers have often received a lot of criticism overtime. By age 12, it is estimated that children with ADHD will have received 200,000 times more negative comments than a neurotypical child.

Support those that you lead to understand their strengths, and how they can harness these, whilst also raising awareness of what could happen if their strengths go into over-drive.

Adopt a systems approach

Rather than adopting the stance that the individual needs to change encourage a conversation around what changes could be made at a team / organisation level.

Contract, contract, contract

Discuss ways of working with the individuals that you lead around their needs, your needs and the needs of the organisation. What would good look like? Which needs can be met, and where can compromises be made?

Provide feedback and review progress

Agree with the individuals that you lead how you will provide ongoing feedback to each other and how you will review progress against actions agreed.

Adopting these principles will help create a more psychologically safe environment, where individuals feel included for who they are, feel safe to learn, motivated to contribute and can offer challenge without fear of retribution.

Not only are neurodiverse individuals more likely to thrive under these conditions but they will also bring a wealth of diverse perspectives and talents to the workplace, driving innovation and productivity.

 

Written by: Rebecca, Associate Executive Coach

Rebecca is an ICF accredited Executive Coach and a Coaching Supervisor. She specialises in working with senior leaders and leadership teams across a range of industries including retail, science, manufacturing, banking, professional services and public sector. She has a track record of helping individuals achieve promotion and successfully transition to the next level .

Rebecca is an Associate Executive Coach of The Coaching Solution.

If you are interested in working with Rebecca, please contact info@thecoachingsolution.co.uk or call on 07789 007591.