Diversity of Cognition

I was conflicted to write about diversity as a middle-aged white man that has benefited from a system, but hopeful for this article to be a catalyst for constructive dialogue and add to the diversity discussions.

I was fortunate enough to experience the feeling of helplessness and frustration when I was told I didn’t get a job in the 90s because I wasn’t a minority – and I say fortunate, because it helped me gain some limited awareness to the issues when I was a young adult. What I cannot begin to fathom is what a lifetime of being treated without inclusion and equity or a sense of belonging could lead to and the harm it could have on someone’s self-worth.

The reason I start with this, is diversity feels different to me than how I often hear it talked about. My intent is to share something valuable that adds onto the discussions already underway around diversity.

I am not an expert in diversity, and I am on a learning journey in this space like many of you. If there are unconscious biases or unintentional microaggressions, I ask that you please let me know so I may humbly learn from you.

What diversity means to me

The value of diversity comes in many forms and it’s a source of strength. When people develop and grow with different experiences, they bring a different perspective. That experience may come from a culture or religion, a sex or sexual preference, a political perspective, etc. In the end it’s the diverse experience that I’m often after. That informs how I prefer to build diverse teams. I look for diversity in individuals as that results in rich diversity of thought and experiences. The visible diversity often comes with the diversity of experience that I’m looking for, but I don’t form a team around visible diversity as I feel that demeans the individuals. People become part of the team because of who they are, not what they are. As that is my personal feeling, I recognize that it may not resonate, so I'd love to learn and grow from others.

This thinking also influences the way I look at building out business systems to include diverse functions/roles in something like strategy to execution (include a strategy perspective, an architect perspective, an execution perspective, a maintenance/support perspective). Those diverse experiences and needs lead to a far better business solution.

Another way to look at it: I envision everyone’s ideas as dots on a page. As you get people together that have different skills, experiences, ways of thinking, etc. … you get more dots on that page. Then as you collaborate the connections between the dots start to form. Before long, the picture starts to form from those connections. It is not about the smartest person in the room or even the sum of the parts, but the factor (multiplication) of the parts. This works well in strategy, product roadmaps, in major incident response mode, etc. I’ve seen it work time after time.

Diversity of cognition

There is another type of diversity that I haven’t talked about. I feel it is under recognized and thus undervalued – the diversity of cognition. There are several articles being shared in LinkedIn about the incredible untapped talent of the neurodiverse, such as those with aspergers (there are many other types, I am using this example as one that I am closer to). The neurodiverse are those that don’t identify as neurotypical.

As an IT professional I’ve had the luxury of working with the neurodiverse for nearly 30 years. When they feel safe, I’ve been told that the IT profession has attracted them because computers aren't as mean as humans. In fact it was part of my decision many years ago, so I can empathize.

Like the neurotypical, the neurodiverse are all unique individuals with their own talents and traits that are often exceptional. For example, some of the best technical troubleshooters have autistic traits – as they have an extremely high IQ, obsessive knowledge of an area and can be equally obsessive with figuring out a problem. Similarly, there are some I could tap for a faster than Google answer to some obscure technical question (including the document and page number) and better than Google answer as they often know important nuances.

Some may have social skills that are not mainstream, because they can be too blunt with reality. Personally, I have always treasured this bluntness as it can get a team to a solution faster, but for how often people with that bluntness get targeted for dismissal, being open isn't enough. We need to help them be included. I have found myself often coaching the neurodiverse on how to deliver the message so that people listen and even more often, I have found myself coaching leaders on how not to take offense and instead benefit from the value of the blunt messages.

I've also been told that their social skills work very well in communities with other neurodiverse and the neurotypical stand out. I’ve been told this repeatedly, with pride, by someone who is neurodiverse. Someone very close to me that I am very proud of.

My teams have had many wins because we had the neurodiverse and were inclusive in the way they worked. Proven over and over. Many times at 2 AM.

The role as a leader

Successful leaders need to pave the way for diversity by creating environments of inclusion and the safe work environment where diverse individuals feel they belong and can be their true self. Sometimes that environment is giving them a safe desk to work from behind the scenes and protecting them from attention. Sometimes it is providing prayer time and space. Sometimes it means having thick skin for someone being blunt with us. Ultimately, it is getting past our own discomfort with somebody being different, because that is what diversity means. You also need to help them find ways to work together and see the value that they each bring. Once they feel included, you'll see the individuals flourish and the team flourish, which is our role as leaders.

We need to push past the discomfort and get to inclusion. Different is uncomfortable and discomfort is great for making you better as a leader. We are wired to learn when under stress, so embrace it! One of my mentors puts it well: leaders who embrace both diversity and inclusion win more than those that do not. Keep that in mind when things get tough.

With that, I leave you one last thing to ponder as a leader: does your leadership training equip your leaders with the skills to untap the potential of diversity and create an inclusive environment? Does it prepare them for all types of diversity, including the neurodiverse? Does it teach them how to lead with an open mind or does it focus on how to manage distinct diversities?