🎯 unemployed people into sustainable employment 🎯 workplace teams to be more cohesive 🎯 1:1 ADHD coaching to work with, rather than against, unique brains
– is the collaboration with everyone, sharing knowledge to empower each other. Whilst others learn from me, I also learn from them.
Even more breathtaking to me is receiving a comment from someone I’m in awe of. Leanne Maskell the trailblazing activist for neurodivergence and founder of ADHD Works – who trained me to be one of their certified ADHD Coaches:
“Thank you for sharing this Jane – so grateful to have people like you in the world!”
What was the post I wrote that drew this comment?
It focussed on someone I’m currently delivering 1:1 ADHD Coaching to in line with their preference of using text and voice notes.
Throughout my entire career coaching close to 1,000 people into work through commercial recruitment, unique employment programmes like the Real Apprentice and currently Growing Talent, the hundreds of workplace personnel I’ve trained in proactive mind health i-act (for positive mental health and wellbeing) training. Mental Health Training and the courageous people learning to understand and tame their neurodivergence, the following three traits have been front and centre of everything I do:
🎯 lead with kindness and empathy 🎯 meet people where they are – everyone is unique, the way they are coached should be too 🎯 empower people to grow in confidence and become independent of me
What has been front and centre of your style working with others?
I’m currently coaching someone who has been impacted by their neurodivergence since primary school. One example of how this impact showed-up was they were always the last to get ready for PE but didn’t know why. Their teacher was always hurrying them up – not asking curious questions to find out what was really going on. How different their life could have been.
Instead, trying to work with a brain that just won’t ‘fit in’ has impacted their personal and work life. Known to always be late, friends give false times to meet up, but the impulsive distractions that often occur getting ready to go out, mean sometimes false deadlines don’t work!
Five coaching sessions in, a new understanding of how awesome their brain is, their interest based nervous system, the 30% delay in Executive Functioning has delivered a new respect to work with, not against, their brain. Coaching is helping to name their areas of impact to learn tools to tame this. Once learnt, these tools will help in all areas of their life – including being able to retain a job to do the things they want to.
1:7 adults are neurodivergent There are two brain types amongst workplace teams, neurodivergent and neurotypical – which employers may not even realise. Those who are neurodivergent may not even realise it either! The symptoms may be mistaken as behaviours.
The person I spoke about earlier, has never been assessed. As they haven’t been assessed, they haven’t explored the benefits of medication for them with a psychiatrist, chemically taming how their neurodivergence shows up.
We have seen recent press reports that medication for neurodivergence is again globally in short supply.
Why?
When I first heard of Leanne Maskell and joined @ADHDWorks’s Champion course in September 2023 – the global shortage was mentioned then. Over a year later it appears nothing has changed.
Would this be acceptable for any other medication?
So, what can we do?
In the workplace, I’d say plenty!
Build awareness amongst your managers – what they might see, what they might do
Ensure teams know how to be an ally
Fund 1:1 ADHD Coaching for any staff that need it as part of your ‘reasonable adjustments’.
It’s worth noting, in the UK, a formal assessment doesn’t have to be in place for an employer to be at risk of an ET challenge.
Of course there is a financial cost involved. But what’s the cost of doing nothing?
Sharing our knowledge can save others a heap of time, anxiety and money!
Picture this, I’d just been told I’d be charged a ‘restocking fee’ for returning a shower part that wasn’t needed. This ‘restocking fee’ would be deducted from my refund. The box had been opened with a blade so wasn’t damaged. None of the manufacturer’s labels had been disturbed and the internal individual items were still sealed.
This didn’t sound right to me. (Critical thinking – challenge what I’m told/think)
In my case, this 35% deduction to my refund for ‘restocking fee’ equated to £165!
This really didn’t sound right!
Running @Growing_Talent, we cover basic finance tips including consumer law, 14 day cooling off period for online purchases etc. I’d never heard of a ‘restocking’ fee. So, copious research on the internet followed.
Yep, ‘restocking fee’ is a deduction from refunds retailers make. That didn’t sound right. Oh wait – this was American sites!
I reached out to the UK manufacturer of the part I’d brought from the London retailer. They confirmed they charged retailers a restocking fee which cannot be passed on to consumers in the UK. A scan read of the UK Consumer ACT 2015 showed a 14 day cooling off period for all goods brought on line for whatever reason to be returned.
Armed with my new knowledge about ‘restocking fees’ and their use in the UK, I contacted the retailer I brought the part from pointing out, my contract was with them – not the manufacturer. Any ‘restocking fee’ they are charged by the manufacturer is their responsibility not mine. I also quoted the 2015 Consumer Act.
I got my full refund within 48 hours!
I wonder how many people just accept a ‘restocking fee’ deduction in their refunds in the UK.
That’s why I’m sharing this knowledge everywhere I can.
What knowledge would you pass on?
I share steps, tips and knowledge to enable others to know how to get things done in the workplace especially when their brains have different wiring.
Are you aware there are two types of brains within your team? Neurotypical who fit traditional workplaces and neurodivergent who don’t.
Raising awareness within your workplace of how neurodivergence may show up gives you the foundation to manage it, break the stigma, build cohesive teams where all flourish.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥?
𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬:
🔔 Increased sickness levels – maybe burnout
🔔 Disjointed teams – productivity hit
🔔 Loss of talent
🔔 Employment Tribunal challenge
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are three ways to build a neuro inclusive workplace and team where all will flourish:
✅Awareness session for managers to understand how neurodivergence might show up and what to do.
✅How to be an Ally – for teams to know how to support their neurodivergent colleagues.
✅Funding 1:1 Coaching as part of their reasonable adjustments, for their team members who may be neurodivergent and not event realise it
All three are more cost effective than risking an Employment Tribunal!
Do you agree?
Is it time for you to raise awareness in your workplace?
It’s over 70 years since the World Federation of Mental Health was formed.
It’s 32 years since the Federation introduced their annual world mental health day on 10th October. Each year, the focus is on a different theme. For 2024, the theme is…..
“It is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace”.
This is a global movement observed around the world. So, if businesses have embraced the critical need for positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace – why do we still need an annual World Mental Health Day?
Could it be an annual focus for just one day is not enough?
What do you think?
Change can take decades to implement if the drive and vision to do so isn’t there. Often with dire consequences.
Consider the case of Dr Ignaz Semmelweis a Hungarian doctor. In 1846 Ignaz connected childbirth deaths to the lack of hand washing. Those doctors who went straight from the dissecting room (mortuary) to the labour room without washing their hands carried infections with them. Ignaz wrote multiple papers with his findings. He ordered his students to wash their hands in a solution of chlorinated lime after each examination and noted mortality rates dropped from 18.27% to 1.27%. However, the establishment wouldn’t accept his findings and continued to infect patients for decades before adopting his doctrine saving countless lives.
So, what has a doctor’s struggle in the 1800s got to do with business today?
The establishment then didn’t listen. They continued to do what they had always done even though they could see change wasn’t happening. Their arrogance in thinking they couldn’t be wrong cost a lot of lives.
The lessons he gave us then are just as applicable today within workplaces striving to be as mentally well as possible.
Delivering a once-a-year spotlight on mental health is soon going to be forgotten by most. A mindset change has to happen to deliver the transformation to mentally thriving workplace.
Does the training your workplace delivers:
The solutions your teams need?
Does it raise awareness of the two different minds in your workplace – neurotypical and neurodivergent?
Transform communication within teams?
Enables understanding of behavioural impacts on others?
Understanding of unconscious thinking?
The benefits of critical thinking?
All the above forms a solid foundation to then deliver a course on mental health and wellbeing which will truly give team members the tools and know how to look after themselves and support those around them.
Selecting the right training programme(s) is an additional pressure to already busy managers, procurement and/or HR teams. Which can often be why so many select based on title and popularity rather than is the fit sought there.
Surely, the first step is to start a conversation with an independent coach and trainer who can explore your needs before collaborating with you on a transformative programme?
I offer a free exploration call to discuss business needs. If I can’t help you, I will tell you so.
Bespoke training is not as expensive as you might think and can save you time, money and reputation when compared to the loss of talent from your business.
I’m Jane. I work with employers to deliver enhanced training in mind health, resilience and wellbeing. I’m also an ADHD Coach. Working virtually, I can help employers across many different time zones.
October, who knew so much would be going on as we get closer to the year end!
Instead of making New Year Resolutions, why not seize the day today!
Many workplaces will have multiple events running throughout October. These can be epic or intimate depending on the organisation.
Until today, I did not realise October was also ADHD Awareness month – and I’m an ADHD Coach, amongst other things!
Raising awareness of neurodivergency in your workplace – what it might look like, what you might do – is a pivitol starting point to ensure both mind operating types in your business – neurotypical and neurodivergent – feel included enhancing emotional safety at work.
To those on the fringes, symptoms can look like behaviours. Equally, those who are neurodivergent may not even realise it having masked all their life.
1:1 ADHD Coaching identifies how ADHD shows up for an individual and enables them to explore strategies to tame it.
Employers can provide this as part of their reasonable adjustments – keeping their awesome talent in their business.
In addition to the amazing events you have planned for October – is ADHD Awareness for Managers and How to be an Ally to an ADHD Colleague part of your plan?
If you’d like to know more about these niche workshops – get in touch!
Back in 1948 the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) was formed. In 1992 WFMH introduced the first of its themed annual World Mental Health Days on 10 October. This year’s theme is..
…”It is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace”
As we enter October, celebration and awareness events will be planned by many employers across all industries – big and small. Green ribbons may be handed out identifying those who are happy to listen to others. Maybe there will be some ‘it’s good to talk lunches’. There will be lots of posters displayed maybe featuring who you can talk to, signposting to external organisations and so on.
But what is planned for 11 October onwards?
This, for me, is often the missing key ingredient when workplaces consider what they are going to do to mark #WMHD 2024. What an opportunity to create a transformation legacy where all staff have the tools and skills to support each other. Not just from a negative emotional standpoint, from all standpoints.
Unless your workplace is an AI plant comprising only robots, you will have a vibrant mixture of minds, attitudes, expertise that can add value to each other and the business. But will this vibrancy dim if it isn’t shown how to shine?
Isn’t now the time to implement a transformational journey for your staff that will continue to add value to you and them long after 10 October is over?
I’m Jane. I collaborate with employers to transform their workplaces into thriving, productive spaces that live and breathe World Mental Health Day – every day.
Time to talk?
My proven expertise is in the following areas:
ADHD Coaching, neurodiversity awareness for managers, how to be an ally to neurodivergent colleagues, I-Act Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing, Emotional Intelligence, effective communication, identifying and analysing unconscious bias and conflict styles.
I work virtually enabling collaboration with employers across diverse locations and time zones.
