Different Minds, Difference Makers

Poor Performer or Poor Environment? Neurodiversity & Performance Management

Before you start performance management, ask six critical questions: Is this person capable of the work when conditions are right? Is the struggle consistent across everything or specific to certain tasks? Did performance change after something happened? Are they trying? What are we actually measuring? Have we actually removed barriers or are you assuming that if they needed something they'd ask? I share three case studies. Dave, a marketing officer with ADHD who missed deadlines and seemed distracted in meetings. His manager was ready for capability procedures. But Dave's missed deadlines were his ADHD brain struggling with time estimation. His incomplete reports were executive function challenges. His fidgeting helped him focus. The solutions were straightforward. Pair him with someone who thrives on organisation. Break projects into smaller milestones. Let him deliver updates verbally. His performance transformed. Priya, a program manager who had been a star performer for three years before everything changed. She started missing meetings, her reports had errors, she seemed withdrawn. Her manager was frustrated. What had changed? Priya is Autistic and experiencing burnout. The charity restructured. New office layout, new systems, new team members. Every routine she'd built was disrupted. The open plan office was sensory hell. This wasn't poor performance. This was burnout from working in a non-inclusive environment. The solution was reduced workload while she recovered, noise-cancelling headphones, flexible working, and rebuilding routines. Marcus, a fundraising officer with ADHD. His manager had made adjustments. Flexible hours, check-ins, smaller steps, headphones, a buddy system. But Marcus still wasn't performing. He missed donor meetings. He didn't follow up. His targets were unmet. And he didn't seem bothered. Sometimes people just aren't good at their jobs. Being ADHD didn't make Marcus a poor performer. Being in the wrong role with no motivation made him a poor performer. This one needed performance management, but neuro-inclusive performance management. I walk through what inclusive neurodivergent performance management looks like. Write everything down. Be specific and concrete. Explain the process. Get external input to check for bias. Use a reasonable timeline. Document what you've tried. The cost of getting it wrong, either keeping someone who genuinely can't do the job or losing someone who could thrive with the right support, is too high to guess. Key Takeaways: * Before performance management, ask six questions to distinguish barriers from performance * If someone can do the work sometimes, that suggests barriers not capability issues * If performance dropped after a change, restructure, or new manager, that suggests barriers * Autistic burnout can look like sudden poor performance. It's caused by working in non-inclusive environments * Sometimes people aren't good at their jobs. Being neurodivergent doesn't excuse lack of effort or motivation * Inclusive performance management means writing everything down, being specific, explaining the process, getting external input, and documenting what you've tried * The cost of getting it wrong is too high. Get expert help if you're unsure Resources: * Sign up for additional resources: subscribepage.io/5aVJvV [https://subscribepage.io/5aVJvV] * Book a free call: https://calendly.io/leahmilnercampbell/30min [https://calendly.io/leahmilnercampbell/30min] * More info: https://leahmilnercampbell.co.uk [https://leahmilnercampbell.co.uk]

The Business Case for Neuroinclusion

Neuroinclusion isn't just the right thing to do. It's a financial imperative. Replacing one employee costs up to nine months of their salary. Disability discrimination tribunal awards are uncapped. ADHD-related tribunal cases have risen 8.5-fold in five years. In this episode, Leah breaks down what neurodivergent exclusion is costing your organisation right now, and what you gain by getting it right. Episode Length: 29 minutes In This Episode: Opening: The Cost of Getting This WrongReplacing an employee costs six to nine months of their salary. At least 20% of your team are neurodivergent. CIPD research shows neurodivergent employees are more likely to leave due to lack of support. For a 50-person organisation, just three neurodivergent staff leaving over five years costs between £52,500 and £79,000 in turnover alone. That excludes lost institutional knowledge, team disruption, and the opportunity cost of what those people could have contributed. You're Losing Your Best ThinkersThe people leaving aren't random staff. They're your pattern recognisers, systems thinkers, and crisis problem solvers. JP Morgan Chase found neurodivergent employees were 90 to 140% more productive than neurotypical peers in matched roles. You may have brilliant people working at half capacity, exhausted by systems that don't work for their brains. The Legal RiskNeurodivergent employees are protected under the Equality Act 2010. Disability discrimination awards are uncapped. The average award in 2022 to 2023 was over £45,000. Recent cases include a £4.6 million award against Hammersmith and Fulham Council for dismissing an employee with ADHD, and over £70,000 paid by Marks and Spencer to a Dyslexic employee marked down for spelling errors caused by her Dyslexia. ADHD-related tribunal decisions have risen 8.5-fold in five years. Being a charity does not protect you. Historical data shows the voluntary sector accounts for 2 to 3% of the UK workforce but 6% of employment tribunal cases. What You Gain by Getting It RightMicrosoft's Neurodiversity Hiring Programme reported a 95% retention rate. Deloitte found inclusive teams outperform peers by 80%. Neuroinclusive practices, clear communication, better meeting structures, flexible working, improve systems for everyone. Building a reputation for neuroinclusion makes you an employer of choice for 20% of the workforce your competitors are still excluding. What To Do This WeekLook at your turnover data from the last three years. Think about staff on stress-related absence. Consider your innovation gaps. These are all potentially linked to neurodivergent exclusion. Then ask what reducing turnover by even 5% would mean for your budget and your mission. Key Takeaways: * Replacing an employee costs six to nine months of their salary. Neurodivergent employees are more likely to leave non-inclusive organisations * Disability discrimination awards are uncapped. ADHD-related cases have risen 8.5-fold in five years. Charities face higher tribunal risk than their workforce share suggests * The adjustments that prevent most tribunal cases are simple and inexpensive. The cost of getting it wrong vastly exceeds the cost of getting it right * Neuroinclusive practices improve systems for everyone, not just neurodivergent staff * Neuroinclusion requires strategic, expert-supported investment. You cannot add it to someone's already full workload and hope for the best Resources: * Sign up for additional resources: https://subscribepage.io/5aVJvV [https://subscribepage.io/5aVJvV] * Book a free call to discuss your organisation's needs: https://calendly.io/leahmilnercampbell/30min [https://calendly.io/leahmilnercampbell/30min] * More info and resources: https://leahmilnercampbell.co.uk [https://leahmilnercampbell.co.uk] About the Host:Leah Milner-Campbell is a former charity CEO and neuroinclusion specialist. She's Autistic, ADHD, Dyscalculic and Dyspraxic, and works with purpose-driven organisations to understand and support neurodivergent leaders and staff, so they can build workplace cultures where everyone thrives.

What Neuroinclusion Actually Means (And Why Your Mission Depends On It)

At least 20% of the population has a brain that works differently to what society expects and designs for. Most workplaces are built by and for neurotypical brains. This creates barriers that prevent brilliant neurodivergent people from thriving. In this episode, Leah explains what neurodiversity actually means, what it looks like in your workplace, and why neuroinclusion strengthens purpose-driven organisations. Episode Length: 29 minutes In This Episode: What is Neurodiversity?Human brains naturally vary. There's no single right way for a brain to work. Neurodiversity describes natural cognitive variation and the social movement recognising neurological difference as natural human variation rather than disorder. Neurotypes: Typical and DivergentMost people have neurotypical brains. Society's systems are built by and for them. Neurodivergent brains work differently. This includes ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, tic disorders and others. Many neurodivergent people have multiple neurotypes. Current estimates suggest at least 20% of the population is neurodivergent. Most neurodivergent adults remain undiagnosed. Medical Model vs Social ModelThe medical model says someone has a disorder needing fixing. It puts the problem in the person. The social model explains that some brains are different, not broken. Society creates barriers that disable neurodivergent people. This puts the problem in systems and environments. Neuroinclusion is about removing barriers so all minds can thrive. What Neurodivergence Looks Like at WorkBrilliant at certain tasks but struggles with basics. Articulate in meetings but disorganised writing. Direct emails that land badly. Consistently late despite trying. Avoids numbers and data. Needs to understand why. Struggles after changes. Avoids social events. Takes feedback personally. Chaotic desk with their own system. Needs everything in writing. These patterns could all be neurodivergence. Why This Matters for Your OrganisationComplex problems need different ways of thinking. Neurodivergent people often bring pattern recognition, systems thinking, creative problem solving and attention to detail. If you exclude neurodivergent people, you exclude cognitive diversity. Most purpose-driven organisations have equity values but miss neurodiversity. You already have neurodivergent people in your organisation. Some are masking and burning out. Some don't know yet. Some have left. The Training GapMost leaders, managers and HR professionals have never been trained on neurodiversity. You're designing processes and setting expectations based on assumptions about how neurotypical brains work. You can't know what you've never been taught. Now you have a choice. What To Do NextChallenge your assumptions. Stop assuming everyone works like you. Assume everyone's brain works differently. Move from frustration to curiosity. Educate yourself and others. Build understanding systematically across leadership, HR, managers and teams. Look at your systems. If multiple people struggle with the same thing, that's a systems problem. Fixing systems benefits everyone. Where To StartStart with awareness. Notice patterns. Question assumptions. Ask if something is a barrier or performance before jumping to conclusions. Be honest about whether you need external support. Getting expert guidance saves time and prevents mistakes. Resources: * Sign up for additional resources: https://subscribepage.io/5aVJvV [https://subscribepage.io/5aVJvV ] * Book a free call to discuss your organisation's needs: https://calendly.io/leahmilnercampbell/30min [https://calendly.io/leahmilnercampbell/30min] * More info and resources: https://leahmilnercampbell.co.uk [https://leahmilnercampbell.co.uk] About the Host:Leah Milner-Campbell is a former charity CEO and neuroinclusion specialist. She's Autistic, ADHD, Dyscalculic and Dyspraxic, and works with purpose-driven organisations to understand and support neurodivergent leaders and staff, so they can build workplace cultures where everyone thrives.

Coming Soon: Different Minds, Difference Makers

Different Minds, Difference Makers is the essential podcast for purpose-driven organisations who recognise that diversity is their greatest untapped resource. Host Leah Milner-Campbell, a former charity CEO & neuroinclusion specialist, explores how to move beyond basic awareness to create workplaces where Neurodivergent staff don't just survive—they thrive. Each episode tackles real challenges from recruitment and reasonable adjustments to preventing burnout and systemic change, offering evidence-based strategies that transform difference into organisational strength.