Six practices you can implement right now to make your data team more neuroinclusive

‘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.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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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