We recently spoke with Emma Wee, a Neurodiversity Coach supporting teams at Universal Music Group, the UK FCDO, EY, and PwC.
In this live interview, Emma shares practical ways to build environments where neurodivergent talent flourishes and where leaders can show up authentically with their own neurodivergent identity. Below are our favourite takeaways.
Or enjoy watching the full interview on YouTube as well as listen to it as a podcast on your favourite platform: Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Pocketcast.
Currently, there is not enough awareness of neurodiversity and what autism, ADHD, or Dyspraxia even means. This can make the life of a neurodivergent talent harder to navigate. Without clear answers, it’s easy to absorb other people’s interpretations instead of building a true understanding of yourself.
If you are a leader, who want to build an environment for neurodiverse talent to perform at the highest level, shift from assumptions to curiosity. Give people language to name what helps them thrive, and make it normal to ask “what helps you thrive?” instead of “what’s wrong?” That simple habit removes pressure and lets people function at their best.
Emma says that contrary to popular beliefs, autistic people do not lack empathy. While they might struggle to read subtle social cues, they often feel deeply. The best way to have conversations with them is through clear and structured communication, which can feel much easier.
Many autistic people prefer environments where they understand all the variables, not because they dislike change, but because predictability helps them stay regulated and deliver great results.
For an autistic person, it’s important to know why you get overwhelmed; accept and give yourself compassion for it.
For an ADHD brain, it’s not that you have a lack of attention; it’s that everything feels equally important at once. Emma explains that ADHD brains often rely on adrenaline to kick into focus, which is why deadlines can boost productivity.
Procrastination often occurs when the steps toward a goal aren’t clear, like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle without seeing the picture on the box.
Identify what you’re heading towards, and it will become a lot easier to figure out how to piece things together to reach your goal. When you can see the end of the process clearly, this is when you hyperfocus.
Dyslexia and dyspraxia influence how people process language, so technology can play a vital role in support.
For example, using dictation tools right after a meeting can help “empty the brain” by capturing key points before they’re forgotten. Emma also described how articles that usually take around three weeks to research, write, proofread, and submit can be cut down to two and a half days after using tools like mapping, dictation, and read-aloud.
One resource that Emma recommends is Goblin Tools, designed by neurodivergent brains for neurodivergent brains. It has tools that can help with summarising large narratives, picking out main points, or even judging the tone of writing.
Using these tools doesn’t mean you’re doing any less work; you’re just now able to get there on par with all of your peers, and often with more mental bandwidth left in the tank at the end of the day.
Alongside these practical strategies, Emma stressed that there’s another layer many neurodivergent people navigate at work: whether or not to disclose. Deciding whether to disclose neurodivergence can be a deeply personal situation. In fact, many people hesitate to do so at work because disclosure can feel vulnerable.
One approach that Emma described is to focus on practical strategies by saying, “what works well for me is X, so I can deliver Y.” This shifts the conversation from what your limitations are, to what makes you work effectively.
Leaders play a crucial role in creating a safe environment around these discussions, ensuring that asking for workplace accommodations isn’t seen as a “step toward the exit.” Ultimately, whether diagnosed or not, the goal is to understand how your brain works best and to use the right tools and strategies to do your best work.
Companies don’t need to have an individualised work plan for each person. Emma often advises them to consider this: “how do you step back and make the space work for everyone?” When thinking about the company’s communication, onboarding, interviewing, and unspoken ground rules, what resources or hurdles exist for those within the company?
It’s best to think of a way to break down barriers not just for neurodiverse people, but for neurotypical people as well, as these hurdles may sometimes be the same for everyone. A standardised approach to providing resources and making things easier means that there is also less pressure for a neurodivergent person to ask for special treatment or disclose their neurodivergence.
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