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5 MINUTE READ


SIX PRACTICES YOU CAN IMPLEMENT RIGHT NOW TO MAKE YOUR DATA TEAM MORE
NEUROINCLUSIVE

DATA LEADERS ARE SURE TO HAVE NEURODIVERSE PEOPLE IN THEIR TEAMS. HOW DO YOU GET
THE BEST FROM THEM? NICOLINA TURCAN, ANALYTICS AND MENTORING ADVISOR, EXPLAINS.

‘Neurodiversity’ is an umbrella term which refers to the wide variety of ways in
which people’s brains’ process information and perceive the world. It includes
people with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, OCD and Tourette’s, just to give a few
examples. This article is written from the perspective of an autistic individual
who has been in a data leadership role and managed people for over half a
decade.

Data teams, in my experience, often attract neurodiverse individuals as the
nature of the work allows them to cater to their strengths, such as the ability
to focus intensely to quickly pick up new technologies; thorough attention to
detail which is good for spotting errors; and creative problem-solving which
caters well to writing complex code.

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Tap into exceptional but under-used talent, and get better outcomes for everyone

NICOLINA TURCAN, ANALYTICS AND MENTORING ADVISOR

Building processes with neuroinclusion in mind allows you to tap into
exceptional but under-used talent and results in better outcomes for everyone –
neurodiverse or not.

With this in mind, here are six practical, attainable and cost-free practices
that allow neurodiverse individuals (disclosed and undisclosed) in your team to
perform at their best.

 1. Implement a clear objective-setting framework.
    Whether OKRs (objectives and key results) or SMART goals, this ensures that
    your expectations of what needs to be delivered are clear and understood.
    This is particularly important for neurodiverse colleagues who might benefit
    from extra clarity around what is expected of them, and allows them to refer
    back to their objectives to make sure they focus on what matters.
    ‍
 2. Always explain the “why” behind a task or project.
    Neurodiverse people may have slightly different ways of understanding and
    planning for a task. Helping them see the big picture ensures everyone is on
    the same page for what needs to be done and allows them to build an
    execution plan that fits with how they best deliver.
    ‍
 3. Trust your people to deliver at a working pace that they can sustain.
    Many neurodiverse individuals prefer to work in bursts of very intense focus
    (“hyperfocus”) followed by quiet blocks of time to recharge. Allowing them
    to group their focus time throughout the week and keeping some lighter days
    will actually most likely supercharge their productivity.
    ‍
 4. Do not send meeting invites without clear objectives.
    We’ve all been victims of the dreaded “catch up” call with no further
    context. This is bad practice and can be very disruptive to anyone, but
    particularly to neurodiverse individuals who might find it extra hard to
    stop their brains from ruminating on scenarios.
    ‍
 5. Focus recruitment on relevant skills and competencies.
    Does a data role actually require “good writing skills” – that might
    inadvertently turn away individuals with dyslexia? When you talk about
    “communication skills”, are you expecting that the autistic individuals in
    your team will make 100% of the effort to communicate well with their peers
    – without also teaching others how to communicate more effectively with
    their autistic colleagues? If you consider rejecting candidates because they
    lack “culture fit”, is this a way to hide subconscious bias and potential
    discrimination?
    ‍
 6. Document processes and tasks, in writing.
    Not everyone digests information well verbally, so sending meeting summaries
    with action points and keeping good written documentation allows
    neurodiverse individuals to process information at a pace and in a format
    that works best for them. This is also best practice – it ensures a common
    purpose and efficient working.

None of these practices are specific to neurodiverse individuals. However, not
having them in place will disproportionately affect neurodiverse individuals,
who will then need to work extra hard compared to their colleagues to join the
dots – effort which would be better spent on doing their actual job.

While there are lots more adjustments that can be made that are specific to
different types of neurodiversity involving the physical environment or working
patterns, these won’t be enough until the foundational processes of your company
are designed with inclusivity for the whole team in mind.

Workplaces that are supportive of neurodiverse people can deliver brilliant
business outcomes. Nearly a fifth of people are neurodiverse, so there is a high
likelihood of them being represented in your organisation.

If you would like to talk more about building strategies for managing
neuroinclusive teams positively to benefit your team and company, please do
contact us.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicolina Turcan is analytics and mentoring advisor at The Data Practice. She is
a data leader with a track record of delivering data products and services that
act as a catalyst for business value and building teams where individuals are
empowered to excel in their strengths. She has led data teams at FTSE 100
companies.

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Photo credit: Lad Fury via Pexels


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