CNDCC Panel Event - November 10th, 2022
Setting the Scene
The Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce (CNDCC) held their inaugural panel event on November 10th, 2022. Hosted by The Zall Company, a commercial real estate firm located in Denver's RiNo district, the CNDCC captured the eyes and ears of members for a full 90 minutes.
The event saw three distinguished panelists talking from not only their heart, but also their experiences as being a part of the Neurodivergent community. Their stories, though unique, often held many parallels and shared themes. These experiences, both positive and negative, helped to shape the panel's questions and thoughtful responses that were given by each participant.
Our first speaker was Ryan.. Ryan was diagnosed with ADHD relatively early in life, and later was also diagnosed with autism. Ryan detailed his experiences from growing up and the discrimination he faced in both schools and workplaces as he struggled early in life to find where he fit in. Ryan is a senior member of Uptimize, a company focused on training workplaces to adapt neuroinclusive policies and shift workplace culture to be more understanding.
Sarah, a film producer, was diagnosed with ADHD in the late 80's. She discussed how she had to mask her condition early on in school and how she landed in a career that allowed to use her diagnosis as a strength, instead of allowing it to inhibit her. Sarah is now the owner and lead filmmaker of her own production company, Common Ground Studios.
Stuart, President of 'The Zall Company', spoke to the crowd as the parent of a neurodivergent child. He challenged the audience to think through two different lenses whenever he spoke. He detailed his efforts to help his child, speaking to the compassion and extra effort that it took to help raise his son in a world that is still opening up to neurodivergent individuals. Additionally, he spoke as a business owner and related how neurodivergent employees have helped his business thrive.
The panel was led by one of the CNDCC's founding members, Danny Combs, who would pose questions to the panel and then allow them to drive the conversation. This hands off approach led to less of a question and answer format, but instead allowed the panelists to bounce their ideas, answers, and thoughts off of each other.
The Questions
"What opposition as a business owner do you see for neurodivergent individuals?"
Stuart kicked off the conversation by addressing how neurodivergent employees can often provide creative and opportunistic answers to answer tough questions facing businesses. However, not every business is ready to "think outside the box" and try new solutions. This pushback from companies often stifles creativity and can detract from new ideas being formed in the workplace.
Stuart ended his answer by saying that companies often need and rely on skills that neurodivergent individuals excel at. Attention to details and creativity can help a company, but only if we allow our employees to thrive with the skills that they have.
"What gaps do we see in training?"
Ryan initiated conversation on the topic by first covering the relationship between hiring practices and how most companies currently handle their employees. "The biggest gap we see currently is companies hiring individuals that produce more (autistic employees are 140% more productive compared to neurotypical employees) without a neurodiverse culture in place". Companies are so focused on hitting their end of quarter deadlines that they hire on individuals that are not going to relate well to the current company culture.
Ryan continued on by saying that companies hiring neurodivergent individuals need to take more complete measures to make sure their employees succeed. He emphasized that companies need to give educational training to all levels of the company and that everyone, even individuals in the boardroom, needs to be on board. "If any change is to happen, it needs to begin at the top'', says Ryan. Sarah then chimed in with her incredible positivity, highlighting "we are a much more pliable culture right now" and that "every single one of us can help move the needle [towards inclusion]". Sarah's statement focused on our ability to act not only individually, but as a whole business, in the direction of acceptance.
"If you were in an elevator and had 10 floors to pitch hiring a neurodivergent individual, how would you explain it to someone?"
The responses from all 3 panelists stemmed from their personal experiences
Sarah's first response to Danny was to ask our imaginary business owner how much they know about the neurodiverse community. After the initial question, she then opted to discuss how underutilized the community as a whole is. She reviewed that with the proper support and direction, a neurodivergent employee can help bring a company to new heights and open up new avenues of thinking.
Ryan's response stemmed from his background at working with Uptimize. “Do you have a neuroinclusive culture at your business?”, he said. He went on to explain that without a company culture that is entirely inclusive, it can actually do more harm than good. Without a better environment to allow for these individuals to thrive, it could cause more stress and future breakdowns of communication down the line.
Stuart responded to Ryan's response and agreed. "We need to keep an open mind and create tools for success" he chimed in. Stuart referenced his own company, which employs several neurodivergent employees, and discussed how we need to balance the concept of Universal Design (systems in place to work for all employees) with Human Focus (practices to ensure individuals at a company can succeed).
After the discussion of Danny's questions ended, the CNDCC panel then evolved into an open forum. Several audience members asked questions in regards to hiring practices, familiarity with inclusivity, how we can assist with hiring practices, and what advice to give to neurodivergent individuals trying to enter the workplace.
Every audience based question was answered with a common theme in mind. Everyone needs to know what neurodivergent culture is. Without the proper steps in place to accommodate these individuals, we will continue running into a cycle of rapid turnover and miscommunication. As Sarah stated during her portion of the panel, we are at a unique time and place where companies are open to the ideas of learning and change.
Businesses across the country (and world) should be embracing change. Once they do, they will see a large untapped network of individuals that can help them soar.
The Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce hosts panel events for their members every month. If you are interested in joining our organization, please feel free to reach out to one of our founders and we would be happy to welcome you into the organization.