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Neurodiversity: from one size fits all to inclusive working
Anton Maes, organizational psychologist and inspirer of brainmove:
"In practice, variation in workplaces is not enough."
What do employees need to perform optimally? Activity-based work is popular, but it may not be enough. The neuro-inclusive work environment goes further: it recognizes and supports cognitive, sensory and social differences between employees.
Neurodiverse or neurodivergent
"One thing is paramount: everyone is neurodiverse. Neurodiversity refers to all possible ways of thinking, communicating, reacting to the world. Organizations consist of groups of people, each with their own typical characteristics. This also includes employees with a neurodivergent profile: their brains function differently from what is considered average. They have a variation in the brain such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia. Neurodivergent is therefore fundamentally different from neurodiverse – although those terms are sometimes confused. When we talk about a neuro-inclusive work environment, we mean a work environment that meets all employees' needs. There is really a development to be seen here. In the past, when someone deviated from the norm, they said: how are we going to solve this specific case? Nowadays – fortunately – people are increasingly thinking in terms of solutions for everyone. Everyone should feel comfortable and safe in their workplace and be able to perform optimally."
‘Everyone is neurodiverse and deserves a workplace to flourish.’
Embracing variety
"As an organization, do you strive for inclusion and diversity? Then that means that you offer every employee an optimal working environment – regardless of gender, religion, sexuality or neurological profile. This is not only good for people, but also for the organization. For example, scientific studies show that organizations perform better when they actively involve and support neurodivergent people. The key question now is: how do you achieve a neuro-inclusive work environment that embraces variation? Worldwide, we are seeing an evolution towards activity-based working concepts (ABW). Depending on their activities, employees choose a workplace: a quiet room when you need to rest, for example, or a comfortable lounge when you need interaction. At first glance, this seems like a great solution to accommodate neurodiversity. But in practice, variation is not enough."
Inclusion requires nuance
"Activity-based working is a good solution in theory and I am absolutely not against this workplace concept. But an eye for nuance is essential. In practice, I regularly see that ABW concepts, if you look at them objectively, do not offer enough qualitative choices. For example, there are phone booths to isolate yourself, but they are too small, too dark, or the acoustics are not good. Sometimes there is no choice, for example because the quiet room that should serve everyone in practice functions as the manager's individual office."
"Really offering choices means that someone must also be able to say: I want to work quietly, but preferably not in a small cubicle but in a place by the window. Then you talk about environment-based working. Finally, we must be careful not to think too quickly in stereotypes. Some people with a neurodivergent profile such as autism function perfectly in a busy environment, and vice versa. In a neuro-inclusive work environment, it's all about variety, quality and freedom of choice."
‘The neuro-inclusive work environment is all about variety, quality and freedom of choice.’
Behavior and structure in balance
"Let's not only concern ourselves with what the workplace looks like, but also with how people interact with it. A lot of research on neuroinclusion is about the importance of good agreements, and rightly so. It is about treating each other with respect and striving for an open culture, with open communication. The success of an inclusive workplace concept depends on clear behavioural agreements; How do we interact with each other and this space? It's about balancing behavior and structure – the actual workplace. And my hobbyhorse is: that starts with leadership. Managers are responsible for psychological safety in an organization, monitor compliance with agreements and must consistently set a good example. Leadership and good behavior are crucial for the success of neuro-inclusive work."
Small adjustments, big difference
"In addition, you can already achieve a lot of profit with seemingly small interventions in a space: think of adapted lighting, or reduce the reverberation of hard floors and materials. The trend of movable walls between workplaces can have the opposite effect: because the visual stimulus disappears, people start talking louder. Unfortunately, most complex problems cannot be solved easily. The other day I was in a chaotic open landscape where everyone was on the phone at the same time. Then larger structural adjustments are necessary. Some buildings are not at all adapted to the activities that take place there."
‘Give employees control over their own workplace.’
Direction gives peace of mind
"You develop the optimal working environment step by step, in co-creation with users and by testing solutions first. Listen to the users: how do they use a space, what do they need? Make sure employees have influence over their own workplace. Think of adjusting light, moving screens or dampening sound. Research shows that this autonomy not only improves focus and productivity, but also reduces stress."
Tip!
"There is no such thing as a 'one size fits all'. Invest in co-creation. Let your team come up with concrete solutions themselves, within a clear framework, to optimize the experience for neurodivergent profiles."
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