Equipping managers to build neuroinclusive teams
A manager finds out one of their team members has received an ADHD or autism diagnosis – or perhaps they’ve self-identified. Does that manager have the knowledge and confidence to ask the employee what they need? Or do they avoid a conversation because they fear they’ll say the wrong thing? As Head of People, Wellbeing & Equity, I know that managers want to get this right but often don’t know where to start.
Many of the employees I speak with tell me a neurodivergence diagnosis gave them answers to questions they’d had for years – like why they felt they were working twice as hard as everyone else just to keep up, or why they found work social events so draining. But CIPD research shows that only 38% of employees say their employer provides meaningful support to neurodivergent individuals, and only around half would feel comfortable asking for reasonable adjustments at work.
As awareness grows and more working adults receive a diagnosis or self-identify, managers will encounter this more and more.
The best outcomes for neurodivergent colleagues, and their employers, happen when managers are confident and prepared. So how can we make sure they are?
The manager knowledge gap
The barrier to getting this right isn’t a lack of care, it’s a lack of knowledge. Managers want their teams to feel fully supported and to succeed. But if they’re not equipped to have sensitive conversations, they may avoid them altogether. If they don’t know what adjustments are reasonable, or how to apply them fairly, they may not offer them at all.
That silence can mean the difference between an engaged, productive colleague and one who feels drained and demotivated. Targeted training for managers can address this and make the workplace somewhere employees want to be.
Wellbeing and productivity fuel each other. Making sure neurodivergent colleagues have the support they need is fundamental for individual success and development. And if employees don’t feel included and valued, employers will feel the impact too. At first, this can show up as withdrawal or frequent absences. Longer term, it can make an employee want to leave their job altogether.
Creating psychological safety
Diverse teams perform better, and neurodivergent colleagues bring unique strengths – creativity, focus, fresh ways of thinking – to the workplace. But to fulfil their potential, employees need to feel safe enough to be themselves.
Creating psychological safety in the workplace benefits everyone. When people feel safe enough to be themselves, they collaborate and innovate more. And that’s particularly true for our neurodivergent colleagues. The pressure to mask or modify behaviour to “fit in” to a neurotypical work environment can feel relentless and exhausting.
One colleague told me they found the focus on group participation and speaking up in meetings a real barrier. The expectation to perform made them so anxious that they couldn’t be fully present.
At MHFA England® we’ve worked to build a truly inclusive culture. We’ve seen how people show up differently when they feel safe. After we’d put some simple adjustments in place, that same colleague told me they felt comfortable in meetings for the first time in their career. That’s psychological safety in action.
When managers get it right
As the first point of contact for their teams, managers have a central role in building neuroinclusive cultures that support all colleagues to thrive. And meaningful, effective change always begins with open communication.
The managers who get this right know how to ask the right questions and truly listen to the answers. They’re led by what neurodivergent colleagues tell them they need, and make an effort to use their preferred communication styles. This could look like sharing questions ahead of a meeting, or having a series of shorter conversations, rather than a longer one.
I remember speaking with a manager who’d just completed training. They told me about a conversation they’d finally felt able to have. A team member had been diagnosed with autism and had been masking for years. The manager said: “I didn’t fix anything. But I asked the right questions, and for the first time, they felt like they could be honest.”
Confident managers also understand the impact of flexibility and offer reasonable adjustments that really work for their teams. They’re consistent. And they check in regularly to see if the adjustments are useful and if anything needs to change.
Managers need to be equipped to do all of these things.
Empowering managers
I’ve seen how accessible training, based on real-world scenarios, moves managers beyond good intentions towards confidence and tangible action. With the right training, managers know how to build a culture of trust where colleagues can be themselves and ask for what they need.
After completing Mental Health Knowledge for Managers, managers show up for neurodivergent colleagues more fully. They understand the impact of neurodivergence and intersectionality on workplace mental health. And they’re alert to their own biases.
Mental Health Knowledge for Managers gives managers a good understanding of reasonable adjustments. Once they’ve taken the course, managers can identify employees’ unique needs and suggest practical ways to remove any barriers they face in the workplace. They also know how to apply supportive changes consistently and fairly across their teams.
Neuroinclusion takes a whole workplace, but the manager–employee relationship is where it needs to begin. With the right preparation, training and support, managers notice more, start better conversations, and build teams where everyone feels supported and valued. We owe it to them, and the neurodivergent colleagues they manage, to make sure they’re ready for those conversations when the time comes.