If you’ve been diagnosed with something under the umbrella of neurodiversity, you may be navigating how and when to share this with co-workers. Disclosing neurodiversity at work is personal, and there are a number of considerations that may influence your plans to share.
Sharing a medical diagnosis is usually really personal. Teammates rarely come back from the dermatologist or gastroenterologist with colorful details of their recent visit, so why would details on how your brain works be any different?
First of all, it IS personal, and if you want to keep it private, that is your choice. Hopefully you won’t have family members or medical providers push you to share before anything you are ready.
Next, let’s think through when, with whom, and why you might want to share.
Wait for it…
Most roles include a few rounds of interviewing before a formal offer from a new company. In addition to the company interviewing you, you are actually interviewing them. You can learn a lot about a company culture, and the hiring manager’s leadership style through these interviews, with the right questions.
There are ways to get a feel for how inclusive a team or organization is by asking about:
- Workplace flexibility (location, hours)
- Creativity and innovation
- Career pathing and advancement
While it is a personal choice to directly disclose your neurodivergence during the interview, you run the risk of the interviewer introducing unconscious bias. We wouldn’t want them remembering this detail more than your many other great qualities that make you a strong candidate for the role.
Once you’ve been offered the role, it’s a great time to consider if/how you’d like to share with people.
Keeping it quiet
Want to keep your news a bit more private, but interested in certain workplace accommodations? Consider reaching out to your HR representative to understand how they can support you. If you work for a smaller company, or somewhere that is slow to embrace diversity, be prepared to ask for what you need. They likely will not have a list of accommodations ready for you. This article has some ideas on accommodations that will likely be considered reasonable.
What could accommodations look like?
This could be anything from working flexible hours to avoiding the office when distractions are at their peak, or working from home more than you come in to an office. It may include text-to-speech software or a bluetooth headset so you can pace around when you are on calls. The biggest theme we’ve noticed with late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD individuals, is even if their employer is willing to provide accommodations, the employer really don’t know where to start, so come prepared with a list of ideas.
Enlarging Your ‘Circle of Trust’
Some accommodations that impact other team members will certainly need to be shared beyond HR, i.e., with your manager and/or your team. This level of transparency requires psychological safety and trust. If team relationships are strained, it may be harder to share what you need with the people around you.
Once you are comfortable, it will become easier to share with colleagues. This level of transparency allows you to unmask and be your authentic self. This may mean pacing around the back of a large meeting to focus better vs. feeling obligated to sit perfectly still while missing important content. It might mean the team understanding that you can’t be productive in an open floor plan office, and need to face a wall or wear noise-cancelling headphones to get things done.
Go “All In”
Once that foundational trust and safety are strong, some people even choose to make this part of their identity. Within the workplace, you can start (or sponsor) an Employee Resource Group, host lunch & learns, and build support networks for peers experiencing similar challenges. Outside of work, you can share valuable articles with your LinkedIn network to spread awareness and understanding.
Letting others know about neurodivergence can have its benefits, but it’s usually not a quick and easy decision for everyone.
MPG Can Help
Mullins Professional Group (MPG) works with organizations to build awareness and inclusion around neurodiversity. Sometimes this looks like extra support for the neurodivergent team members, and other times, the focus may be on facilitating inclusive leadership opportunities.
From speaking at team or company events, to working closely with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), to providing coaching to neurodivergent leaders, MPG can help. Harnessing your company’s acceptance and inclusion of neurodiversity should be a critical part of your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy. Reach out today!
