A recently published briefing paper states that UK productivity is ‘in stagnation’ and has been so for a period of 10 years. Although the root of this is varied and complex, I would suggest that if workplace support for neuro-divergent individuals were to be available in all workplaces this could potentially have a positive multifaceted impact. The briefing paper, Productivity in the UK, July 2017 states this reported ‘stagnation’ has puzzled economists and the following theories are listed within this paper to try to help explain the situation: • falling productivity in the oil and gas, and financial sectors; • weakness in investment that has reduced the quality of equipment employees are working with; • the banking crisis leading to a lack of lending to more productive firms; • employees within firms being moved to less productive roles; • slowing rates of innovation and discovery; • an ageing population; • inaccuracies in the data. However, as also stated in the paper none of these is sufficient on its own to explain entirely what has happened. For obvious reasons, everyone concerned is keen to be able to predict when the weakness in productivity growth will come to an end and how this might best be brought about. Although this post may be seen to be taking a simplistic approach toward increasing productivity, I believe it is important to firstly look at this on a ‘grass roots’ / micro level – from the perspective of the individual employee. In particular, it would appear there is a dearth of information available about the missed opportunity of increasing the engagement and productivity of neuro-divergent individuals by ensuring they can access appropriate support within the workplace. (We are potentially looking at 1 in 7 people). A dyslexic employee after accessing support: ‘I am completing and achieving more …..I am prioritising better and am more efficient at completing tasks to deadlines.’ Of course, there are numerous reasons why some individuals may be underproductive including lack of training, health, appropriateness of the work environment, poor management, smoking breaks, inefficient systems etc. However, by ensuring those with dyslexia, dyscalculia and other neuro-divergent ‘conditions’ feel safe to access appropriate support this could be a ‘win-win’ for everyone concerned regardless of these factors - plus these individuals could help bring about positive change in these areas listed. The benefits of providing this type of support are many-fold in that an increased number of these individuals will become more able & more likely to utilise their widely acknowledged atypical problem-solving skills, creativity and innovative thinking which could help organisations with new products & services as well as them being more successful & productive at a macro level. ‘It has helped me build relationships and identify strategies for dealing with delivery of multiple projects’. As there is an ongoing drive towards encouraging people to take up STEM (science, technology, engineering & maths) in education & careers (all of which are subjects known to have a ‘pull-factor’ for neuro-divergent individuals) by providing support and informing individuals that organisations are dyslexia/’neurodivergence’-friendly may aid recruitment into the sector. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of understanding about dyslexia and co-occurring neuro-divergent conditions which has meant that the subject has largely been overlooked in relation to the workplace – with most of the focus being on children & education. However, there are currently an increasing number of enlightened organisations providing a streamlined process of support for their neuro-divergent employees and viewing this as an important opportunity.
It is suggested that this is a subject which should now be taken seriously and would ideally be included within the list of focus areas for increasing UK productivity. If we review this list from the briefing paper above, we can pull out at least two areas which this has some relevance (in addition to increased individual productivity) and these are; inaccuracies in data & slowing rates of innovation and discovery. Recent work with staff at a globally recognised university (which has a speciality in STEM and business subjects) has shown that providing an accessible process of support to neuro-divergent staff can increase engagement and improve individual productivity - as well it having a positive impact on career wellbeing. If you would like to find out more about this you can find the full research paper here: Vol.05 No.06(2017), Article ID:76910,23 pages 10.4236/jss.2017.56007 Workplace Dyslexia & Specific Learning Difficulties―Productivity, Engagement and Well-Being What employers can do to help their dyslexic employees.Dyslexia is a ‘hidden disability’ and due to a lack of awareness it is widely believed to simply affect an individual’s ability to read & write. As the result of this, many adults who are experiencing challenges with their tasks within the workplace may not necessarily consider it could dyslexia that is causing them to struggle. Added to this, the stigma and prejudice which is also associated with dyslexia, many of these individuals may be reluctant to seek help as they are fearful that this may have negative outcomes. Commonly these individuals have concerns about how they are perceived by others, how this may affect their credibility and the potential wider and long term impact on their career.
The types of challenges the dyslexic individual experiences in the workplace will vary dependent upon their own unique challenges, their role and the environment they work in. However, some of the more common challenges include; time management, organisation, planning, structuring written communication and presenting information. If these challenges are affecting their ability to meet targets and the quality of their work is not up to a desired standard, line managers who have no understanding of dyslexia (and the associated neuro-divergent ‘conditions’) are likely to see this as a performance issue and may erroneously initiate a formal performance management procedure rather than signpost the individual towards a source of information and screening. Therefore it is imperative line managers and HR personnel have an awareness of what dyslexia actually is so they can appropriately support all employees. Also it can be invaluable to have Accredited Dyslexia Champions within the organisation as these knowledgeable, impartial colleagues can answer questions and signpost individuals and/or their managers towards the organisation's recognised process of support. This post contains an excerpt from the recently published research paper: Open Journal of Social Sciences Vol.05 No.06(2017), Article ID:76910,23 pages 10.4236/jss.2017.56007 Workplace Dyslexia & Specific Learning Difficulties―Productivity, Engagement and Well-Being If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so we are a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each human gift will find a fitting place. (Margaret Mead, 1935). Neuro-diversity - is a concept where neurological differences are to be recognized and respected just as any other human variation yet I believe many organisations still have a long way to go in terms of creating a more 'accessible' neuro-diverse workplace culture. Many of those who 'think differently', more particularly those who are 'labeled' with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Asperges and Dyscalculia are still struggling within the workplace and prejudice & misconceptions still abound. These given 'labels' simply mean these individuals have 'different ways of thinking' and these labels should certainly not become or be considered as barriers to learning or career progression. Regrettably many individuals with these learning differences have received little appropriate support whilst in education, which could be said to be partly due to our lack of any real understanding of neuro-diversity until fairly recent times. (These Learning Differences are also referred to as 'Specific Learning Difficulties' and these are classified as 'protected characteristics' under the Equality Act 2010). In light of this lack of understanding in education in the past and in many workplaces in the present, it is most likely that many of these individuals are not currently able to work to their true potential, which could account for quite a considerable unseen cost for business. These individuals generally have different processing styles and when they have effective coping strategies in place they often display some amazing strengths .... which remain for many, mostly untapped !! A vanguard of enlightened organisations are already realizing that some of their most innovative staff are those who historically have been perceived as 'under performers'. A more positive, 'accessible' neuro-diverse workplace culture ....the pathway to more successful business? ‘In 2012 there were almost 30 milllion people at work in the UK. Therefore, 3 million of these will be affected by dyslexia’. (Malpas, 2012). 1. There will be dyslexic employees in every workplace
Although there is currently much discussion and debate over whether 'dyslexia' actually exists there is no doubt that the underlying challenges of dyslexia do exist !! The dyslexia iceberg diagram shows the types of challenges faced by 'literate dyslexic' individuals 24/7 and without appropriate guidance and effective coping strategies these challenges can affect their work performance. Dyslexia affects between 10 – 15% of the population – the effects of which can range from mild to severe. Many people do not actually know they are dyslexic – however they are likely to experience challenges with day to day tasks especially when there are changes to their workload or when heavy demands are put upon their short term memory and working memory. |