Written by Emily Davies, Learning and Development Specialist
One employee wants time to think before answering a question. Another needs instructions written down after a conversation. A manager does their best planning in a quiet space but struggles to concentrate between back-to-back meetings. These differences deserve attention when we design work and evaluate performance. Leaders need to understand what the job requires, communicate those expectations, and work with people to identify what helps them succeed.
Neurodiversity describes variation in how people think, learn, and process information. Neurodivergent people may include those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other neurological differences. A diagnosis does not describe someone’s entire ability, personality, or support needs. Doyle’s (2020) review emphasizes the interaction between individual characteristics and the working environment, offering a useful basis for looking beyond labels. (1)
Begin with the person and the work
Ask employees what helps them do their jobs well. Explore how they prefer to receive instructions, how they track priorities, and what makes a task difficult. The Job Accommodation Network emphasizes that workplace challenges and possible supports vary from person to person. (2)
Avoid deciding that a colleague must have ADHD because they miss deadlines or that an autistic employee will prefer working alone. Discuss what you have observed and ask about support. Acas recommends approaching these conversations sensitively without asking employees to confirm a suspected diagnosis. (3)
Try asking: “Which parts of this assignment are clear, and where would more structure or information help?”
Make expectations clear enough to act on
Replace vague instructions with a shared understanding of the outcome. Identify the deliverable, deadline, priorities, and who can answer questions. When priorities change, explain what should move down the list.
For example, “Please handle this soon” leaves an employee guessing. “Please send the two-page summary by Thursday at noon; finish that before updating the contact list” gives them something concrete to organize around.
Useful options to discuss include:
- A brief written recap after a conversation.
- Large assignments divided into agreed milestones.
- A shared task list with clear priorities.
- A scheduled check-in before the deadline.
Acas identifies clear steps, planning tools, and regular check-ins as possible supports. Agree on what is useful for the individual and review it rather than assuming one method will suit the whole team. (4)
Give people more than one way to contribute
Consider whether every question needs an immediate spoken answer. Share agendas or discussion questions in advance when practical. Offer a way to provide ideas in writing and send a concise record of decisions afterward.
These are management options to test, not guarantees about how a particular person learns. Ask whether they help. A leader can keep a meeting focused while giving participants time to prepare and a clear opportunity to contribute.
Try this: Before a planning meeting, send the decision the team needs to make and the information people should review. Afterward, record the decision, responsibilities, and next steps.
Look at the working environment
Noise, interruptions, workspace arrangements, and unclear routines may create barriers for some employees. Discuss changes that fit the work, such as a quieter location, protected focus time, assistive technology, or advance notice of a schedule change. JAN provides accommodation ideas that can inform this conversation. (2)
Consider the job’s actual requirements. Headphones may be useful for some desk work and inappropriate where hearing alarms or approaching equipment is essential. Work with the employee and HR to identify an effective, workable option.
Try asking: “What happens during this task that makes it harder to complete, and what change could we try?”
Give specific feedback and follow through
Describe the work issue, its impact, and the expected next step. “You need to be more professional” gives someone little direction. “The report arrived after the meeting, so the team could not use it. Let’s agree on a draft deadline and a check-in” creates a practical conversation.
Listen to the employee’s explanation. Check whether expectations were clear and whether agreed supports were available. Then document the plan and review progress. A recurring barrier may call for a different approach, additional training, or an accommodation discussion.
For U.S. employers covered by the ADA, employees can generally be held to the same standards for performing essential job functions, with reasonable accommodation where required. Support and accountability should be considered together. Coordinate formal performance decisions with HR so disability-related needs are addressed appropriately. (6)
Know when to involve HR
An employee who says a medical condition is making work difficult may be requesting an accommodation without using that word. EEOC guidance explains that requests can be made in ordinary language and need not mention the ADA. Involve the appropriate HR contact promptly to begin the process and consider effective options. (5)
Routine improvements, such as clearer instructions, can often be offered broadly. Formal accommodation requests require individualized consideration. Managers should follow the organization’s process for documentation and keep medical information confidential. Do not explain a colleague’s diagnosis or accommodation to the team. (5, 6)
A helpful response: “Thank you for telling me. Let’s connect with HR to discuss the support you need and the next steps.”
Remember that leaders can be neurodivergent too
The same questions about clear expectations, barriers, and useful support apply to supervisors and executives. Ask leaders what helps them manage their responsibilities instead of treating one communication style as the model of leadership.
A manager might use a meeting template, calendar reminders, written decision records, or protected preparation time. Discuss those tools as ways to support effective work. Avoid assuming that confidence in a meeting proves leadership ability or that asking for support suggests someone cannot lead.
Consider individual strengths when assigning opportunities, and ask about career goals. Some people may want more responsibility; others may prefer deeper expertise in their current role. Neurodivergence should not become a shortcut for deciding either person’s future.
Start with one conversation
At your next one-to-one meeting, ask what is helping the employee succeed and what is getting in the way. Agree on one practical change, identify the result you are looking for, and set a date to review it. Keep accommodation requests moving through the appropriate process while you address everyday work needs.
Good management becomes more useful when employees understand what is expected and have a meaningful voice in how they meet those expectations. Neuroinclusive leadership requires managers to keep listening, check their assumptions, and adjust when an approach is not working.
Research and practical resources
1.) Research on neurodiversity at work. Doyle, N. (2020). Neurodiversity at work: A biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults. British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108-125. Read the open-access review. A foundation for understanding people in the context of their working environments.
2.) Job Accommodation Network. Neurodiversity. Explore workplace barriers, accommodation ideas, and individualized support options.
3.) Acas guidance on conversations. Talking about neurodiversity. Practical approaches to respectful conversations and individual preferences.
4.) Acas guidance on workplace support. Adjustments for neurodiversity and Making your organisation neuroinclusive. Ideas for communication, organization, and manager support. Acas is a UK body; its legal guidance applies to that jurisdiction.
5.) EEOC accommodation guidance. Small Employers and Reasonable Accommodation. U.S. guidance on requests, the interactive process, and effective accommodations.
6.) EEOC performance guidance. Applying Performance and Conduct Standards to Employees with Disabilities. U.S. guidance on essential functions, performance expectations, accommodations, and confidentiality.
Workplace examples are suggestions to discuss and evaluate. Legal obligations depend on the employer and applicable federal, state, and local law.