GUEST POST: The benefits of neurodivergence* in your comms team 

Neurodivergence is becoming more recognised as research improves. Research shows that as much as eight per cent of us have our brains wired this way. Rather than a challenge to employers Gabby Willis, who has had her own diagnosis, explains that it can be an asset in the team that’s not hard to accommodate. 

How long have you worked in comms? For your neurodivergent colleagues, it might be longer than you think.  

I was diagnosed with ADHD-C (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Combined Type) just over six months ago, after years of wondering why everything in my life felt so much more difficult than everyone else expected it to be. One of these things, despite me having completed a journalism degree and worked in digi-comms for the past few years, was communication. Oh, the irony.  

My ADHD means that I can struggle with interpreting social situations and have done so since I was a child. My professional communication skills have been honed by years of masking my anxiety around speaking to and interpreting the tone and intention of others. 

Behind the calm and knowledgeable exterior is a woman second guessing every single word. This can be frustrating, but ultimately, I believe it has served me well in my career. I have been a professional communicator for most of my life, always conducting a ‘vibe check’ of my audience and making sure my need for accessible communications is a two-way street.  

I’ve been told many times that I make communicating look effortless. I’m ‘polite’, I’m ‘professional’, I approach everything from emails to social media with measured consideration and am in many ways the picture-perfect confident communicator. In reality, I feel anything but. It is often a mask that requires a huge amount of effort to maintain. 

 My manager, who is also neurodivergent, calls me a “natural born professional communicator”. He’s always quick to clarify that this is by no means to downplay the years of professional development I have also put into my craft, and the effort it takes. But it’s made me think deeply about what neurodivergent colleagues can bring to a comms team.  

So, without further ado, here are some skills you should embrace from your neurodivergent colleagues (with the obvious caveat that not all people with neuro differences experience these traits in the same, positive way, and that many of these things will also apply to neurotypicals. As the old adage goes, if you’ve met one neurodivergent colleague, you have met one neurodivergent colleague): 

Vibes checks 

Many of us exhibit hyper vigilance to varying degrees. Whilst this is unpleasant for us, it can benefit you because we are more likely to spot when something is ‘off’ in the mood of Teams call or meeting with external stakeholders. We may also be the first ones to notice that colleagues are uncomfortable with messaging about organisational change, or if the air-con in the office is too cold, alerting internal comms to any potential issues.

Reading between the lines: clarification, and concise communication 

Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is also common, particularly in those of us with ADHD or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). This leads some of us to over-communicate to avoid being misunderstood, or to second guess our interactions with others. ‘What did they really mean when they said X?’ and ‘Can you clarify point X, please’ may be things you hear from us. Instead of being frustrated by this, I encourage you to see it as an opportunity to reevaluate your approach. We may be able to help you make something clearer and more concise, or to identify ways to clarify ambiguous calls to action.

Accessibility and inclusion 

Accessible and inclusive communication is second nature to many of us. As above, we put a lot of effort into making sure that our communication to others reflects the accessibility that we need to be shown in return. There may be nobody better than us to bang the drum for WCAG requirements, diversity of contributors to audio-visual content, and appropriately responding to awareness moments.

Empathy 

Empathy can be as much a learned skill as something you are born with. When you are responding to audiences who may be experiencing hardship or heightened emotions, such as during the recent harrowing events in Southport and subsequent rioting, look to your neurodivergent colleagues. We may be struggling with internalising the atmosphere and battling our strong sense of social justice, or we may again be the first to suggest an empathetic approach to acknowledging and dispersing tension.

Crisis management and problem solving 

Hand in hand with empathy comes crisis management; many of us (with ADHD in particular) thrive in a crisis. My brain is chaotic, and there is nothing like a crisis to give me the challenge I need to remain stimulated and on task. After facing many made-up crises from my own co-morbid anxiety, a real professional crisis will see me remain level headed and pragmatic. This also means that I love to get stuck into solving a problem and will happily do the research and deep dives needed to investigate all avenues needed for a potential crisis response. It is better to be safe and prepared than to be sorry. 

Strategy, project management and seeing the bigger picture 

Following on from the above, a need for structure is a common neurodivergent trait. This can show up in a keen eye for strategy and project management. If you’re planning a big campaign, it might be one of us who is keeping you on schedule, helping you see the bigger picture, and coming up with exciting new ideas. We might also make excellent meeting chairs. 

Perfectionism and pattern recognition 

Do you hate proof reading, or analysing social media statistics with a passion? One of your neurodivergent colleagues might love to take this off your hands. It must be clarified that it is cliche to expect everyone with ASD to be a whizz with numbers, but many neurodivergent people count pattern recognition and analytical skills among their strengths.

Creativity, passions and enthusiasm 

Need a creative solution to a problem? I’m ya gal! There’s nothing quite like the opportunity to do creative work to keep me motivated and working at pace. A common ADHD trait is hyperfixation, and whilst this needs to be carefully managed so that it doesn’t become a problem, I can hyperfixate for hours on creating a stunning branded social media campaign of graphics that will stand out from the rest. This is not quite a special interest (which is a potentially contentious term for some) for me, but in a similar vein many neurodivergent colleagues will be extremely skilled at or knowledgeable about the areas of work they feel most passionate about, leading to boundless enthusiasm and a drive to share this with others. 

Whilst I have only scratched the surface here, I hope this blog has given you something to reflect upon personally or within your team, whether you’re neurodivergent or neurotypical.

Gabby Willis is communications and external affairs officer (digital) at IfATE Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Extra help

* Neurodivergence can include a number of diagnosis including autism, attention defecit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD). While some people may still identify with the diagnosis of ADD, ADD is no longer diagnosed by medical professionals. Instead, they diagnose three types of ADHD (inattentive/ADHD-I, hyperactive-compulsive/ADHD-HI, or combined/ADHD-C).

In addition, neurodivergence can also include dyscalculia, dyslexia, dyspraxia or developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD). 

For more information on the conditions that come under the umbrella of neurodivergence, read this handy guide from Cambridge University Hospitals. 

To learn more about workplace adjustments your team members might need, ADHD UK has a guide to reasonable adjustments.