We already know that diverse teams are more creative and deliver better results. We’ve seen this play out in repeated studies and real life. Sadly many organisations lag behind in adequately representing the population in terms of diversity, but those that are making strides are also outperforming the competition. But what about less visible diversity? The topic of neurodiversity is increasingly on our minds (if you’ll excuse the pun). How do we create work environments and cultures that embrace the full spectrum of neurodiversity and enable all our colleagues to perform at their best?

1. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
NEURODIVERSITY: THE NEXT
FRONTIER
Agile People Sweden
October 2016

2. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kodomut/3667608102/

3. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager

4. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager

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Diversity is a Spectrum
Active hatred &
discrimination (*isms)
Micro
aggressions
Indifference
Active inclusion
Tolerance

7. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
“A micro-aggression is
telling young boys that
they are very smart,
and telling young girls
that they are very
pretty. ”
- Faruk Ates @kurafire

8. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
ISN’T A FULLY INCLUSIVE
ENVIRONMENT BETTER?
PROTIP: Helps Everyone!

9. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
BUT WHAT DOES THAT INCLUSION
MEAN IN TERMS OF MANAGING &
LEADING PEOPLE?

10. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
As much as 40% better
Much energy is spent
if you have to hide
your private life, or
pretend to be
something you’re not

11. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager

12. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Neurodiversity
“Neurodiversity is an approach to learning and disability that
suggests that diverse neurological conditions appear as a result
of normal variations of the human genome.
The neurodiversity movement frames autism, bipolarity and
other neurotypes as a natural human variation rather than a
pathology or disorder, and its advocates reject the idea that
neurological differences need to be (or can be) cured, as they
believe them to be authentic forms of human diversity, self
expression, and being”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurodiversity

13. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
https://www.youtube.com/embed/6xUEg2WxGqQ

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WE TALK ABOUT HIDDEN
DISABILITIES

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WHAT ABOUT HIDDEN ABILITIES?

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WE JUST NEED A SHIFT IN
PERSPECTIVE

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EVERY
PERSON IS
CAPABLE OF
VIRTUOSITY

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Across industries, across
countries, the best
performing teams
answer certain
questions positively

20. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Predictors of High Performance
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials & equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a
person?
6. Is there someone at work who cares about my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel like my work is
important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last 6 months, have I talked with someone about my development?
12. At work, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?

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22. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
UNDERSTAND
MOTIVATION
• Purpose
• Autonomy
• Mastery

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Predictors of High Performance (remix)
PURPOSE
• Does the mission/purpose of my company
make me feel like my work is important?
AUTONOMY
• Do I know what is expected of me at
work?
• At work, do my opinions seem to count?
INCLUSION:
• In the last 7 days, have I received
recognition or praise for good work?
• Does my supervisor, or someone at work,
seem to care about me as a person?
• Do I have a best friend at work?
MASTERY
• Do I have the materials &
equipment I need to do my work
right?
• At work, do I have the
opportunity to do what I do best
every day?
• Is there someone at work who
cares about my development?
• Are my co-workers committed to
doing quality work?
• In the last 6 months, have I
talked with someone about my
development?
• At work, have I had
opportunities to learn and
grow?

24. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
“DO I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
DO WHAT I DO BEST EVERY DAY?”

25. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
WE NEED TO STOP LEVELLING
PEOPLE OUT TO EQUAL
CONSISTENT MEDIOCRITY
AND INSTEAD
FOCUS ON GETTING THE MOST OUT
OF DIFFERENCE

26. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
WE ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE
RESOURCE UNITS

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WE ARE COLOURS … OR FLAVOURS
WE ARE BETTER IN COMPLEMENT,
IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER

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WHAT IF WE THINK OF PEOPLE AND
ROLES AS A MATTER OF CASTING?

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HOW DO WE ASSEMBLE A GREAT
TEAM WITH COMPLEMENTARY
ABILITIES?

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FIRST, WE CREATE SPACE FOR THEM
TO BE AWESOME

33. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
EVERY
PERSON IS
CAPABLE OF
VIRTUOSITY

34. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
SPACE TO BE AWESOME =
+ PURPOSE (Do I believe in WHY?)
+ AUTONOMY (Do I get a say in WHAT?)
+ MASTERY (Am I proud of HOW?)
+ INCLUSION (Do I BELONG HERE?)
- ANY NEGATIVE FACTORS THAT DETRACT

35. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Craft Inclusive Environments
1. Am I EXPECTED here?
2. Am I RESPECTED here?
3. Can I BE MYSELF and BE SUCCESSFUL
here?

36. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Am I EXPECTED?
• Be prepared
• Educate yourself & others
• Adjust your recruitment & interview process
• Craft roles that embrace some of those hidden
abilities
• Look for the missing skill that might bring
unique value
• Enable pairing / team-ups

37. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager

38. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Am I EXPECTED?
• Think about environments
• Understand how many office environments
are particularly difficult for folks with different
abilities
• Enable respite
(we provide prayer rooms; how different is
this?)

39. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Am I RESPECTED?
• Are my superpowers valuable here?
• Do I get to focus on the things I am brilliant
at?
• Do people understand and respect difference?
• Do we value diversity, rather than just tolerate
it?

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Am I RESPECTED?
• Educate the team
• Invest in people
understanding better
and not dismissing
difference
• Find ways to appreciate
all kinds of contributions

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Can I BE MYSELF and BE SUCCESSFUL?
• Does this culture reward people like me?
• Do I have to change who I am to succeed
here?
• How much energy do I have to spend
pretending?
• Does my manager care about me? Will they
adapt when they can?

42. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
ENERGY SPENT HIDING IS WASTED
ENERGY INVESTED IN FINDING
MIDDLE GROUND LESS SO

43. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Some Adjustments I Made As a
Manager of Aspies (YMMV)
• Side-by-side 1:1s (for folks who struggle with
eye contact)
• Offering to give feedback by text / email /
Slack to allow extra processing time
• Split 1:1s (talk … break ... talk)
• Acting as a “translation layer”

44. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
IN GENERAL, CHALLENGE THE MERE
EXISTENCE OF “NORMAL”
DON’T ACCEPT A DEFAULT

45. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
WHEN WE SAY “THIS IS NORMAL”
WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY
“OTHERING”

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47. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
EMBRACE HIDDEN ABILITIES
CRAFT INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS

48. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Craft Inclusive Environments
1. Am I EXPECTED here?
2. Am I RESPECTED here?
3. Can I BE MYSELF and BE SUCCESSFUL
here?

49. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
GO!
SHAPE/MAKE SPACE
BE AWESOME
BE INCLUSIVE
And thank you for participating 
Need help? meri@chromerose.co.uk

50. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager

51. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager