Thriving Workplaces: A Neurodivergent Perspective

The most powerful career skill isn’t fitting in. It’s learning how to work in ways that bring out your best.

Understanding Workplace Friction for Neurodivergent Professionals

Modern workplaces celebrate “flexibility,” yet for many people they can feel anything but. Open-plan offices hum with constant chatter. Notifications never stop pinging. Meetings stack back to back until there’s barely a moment to think.

For some, those conditions are mildly frustrating. For others, especially neurodivergent professionals, they can quietly drain energy and derail focus.

As Hannah, a business analyst, reflected,

“I knew I was capable, but the way work was set up made it feel like I was always falling behind.”

The issue isn’t whether people are talented enough. It’s whether they’re able to work in ways that let those talents actually show.

Reflective question: Which parts of the workday might cost a neurodivergent person more energy than they should?

How Hidden Workplace Barriers Affect Focus, Energy, and Performance

Many of the challenges that shape performance aren’t about skill. They’re about friction. Back-to-back meetings erode concentration. Constant chat pings make it hard to find flow. Even the well-meaning push for “visibility in the office” can leave people exhausted before the real work begins.

David, a marketing coordinator, described it simply:

“By the time I finish managing the interruptions in the office, I have no energy left for actually doing my job.”

Even elite performers recognise this challenge. Olympic rower Chris Morgan, who later discovered he was autistic, once said,

“A lot of the time, the way I would communicate could be misinterpreted; my way of plain speaking and my obsession with trying to improve really got a lot of people offside.”

That same dynamic plays out in offices too, where direct communication or deep focus can be mistaken for disinterest.

Recognising friction isn’t weakness. It’s awareness. And awareness is the first step in designing better ways to work.

Reflective question: What daily frictions might be holding back people's ability to do their best work, and what would change if they could name them out loud?

Building on Neurodivergent Strengths to Boost Productivity

Neurodivergence influences focus, energy, and work rhythm in unique ways. The goal isn’t to “fix” those differences, it’s to work with them.

For Mia, an instructional designer, open-plan noise made concentration almost impossible. She began wearing noise-cancelling headphones for the first two hours of the day. That simple boundary created a daily window for deep focus with no messages, no interruptions, just space to think.

James, a project coordinator, realised that during fast-paced meetings he often forgot tasks that had been agreed to verbally. His solution was simple. After each meeting, he sent himself a one-line email summarising what he needed to do next. It took less than a minute but saved hours of confusion later.

And Amira, a senior analyst, discovered that managing energy was just as important as managing time. She worked best in 90-minute bursts, so instead of pushing through fatigue, she began booking short reset breaks between work blocks.

“It wasn’t about changing who I am,it was about changing how I work.”

Reflective question: What small experiment could you try this week that would make your workday feel easier, not harder?

How Small Adjustments and Self-Awareness Reshape Workplace Performance

Consider Ash, who worked in a busy operations team. Every morning stand-up left him flustered. By the time it was his turn to speak, he was still processing what others had said. Colleagues assumed Ash wasn’t engaged.

So he tried something new. He prepared a short written update the night before and shared it at the start of the meeting. Suddenly, his contributions were clear, structured, and insightful.

Afterward, a teammate remarked,

“Seeing it written down made me realise how valuable your input really is.”

That one small shift, presenting information in a way that suited his processing style, changed how the whole team saw his capability.

Reflective question: What would change if people had permission to work in ways that actually bring out their best?

Why Inclusion and Performance Improve Through Self-Advocacy at Work

When people communicate their needs clearly, it doesn’t just help them, it improves the system for everyone.

When Priya, a learning consultant, asked for meeting notes in advance, it first seemed like an individual adjustment. But soon, everyone benefited. Discussions were sharper, decisions clearer, and less time was wasted recapping.

Another team decided to stagger start times after Liam raised how draining peak-hour travel was for him. Early starters used the quiet time for deep work, while later arrivals avoided the stress of commuting. What began as small adjustments became habits that improved wellbeing for the whole team.

As Zoe, a senior facilitator, put it,

“The more we talk about what works for us, the easier it gets for everyone.”

That’s the hidden truth about inclusive practice. Small adjustments for one person often make things better for many.

Reflective question: How might your team benefit if everyone felt confident asking for what helps them thrive?

Creating Inclusive Workplaces Where Neurodiverse Teams Thrive

Imagine a workplace where no one wastes energy masking or hiding differences. Where the question isn’t, “How do I keep up?” but, “How do I work best?”

Elena, a communications advisor, described her own turning point: “

The real shift came when I stopped asking how to fit in and started asking how to bring out the best in myself.”

When people have that permission to design how they focus, communicate, and recover, performance follows naturally. Confidence grows. Energy returns. Teams become stronger because difference is no longer something to manage, but something to learn from.

Final reflective question: How powerful could your team become if everyone was supported to work in the ways that let them thrive?