Attract, Train, and Retain Neurodivergent Employees.
All-In-One Neurodiversity Facilitation Package.
Speaking and Training for Large Groups, Small Groups, or One-On-One.
Also providing:
Mentorship for Neurodivergent Employees and Management.
Jessica Michaels is a neurodivergent (autistic/ADHD) keynote speaker, trainer, and facilitator with 25 years of experience in the corporate arena. Her turnkey speaking and training solutions will help your company bridge the ‘neurodivide’ and teach you how to unlock the innovative potential of the neurodivergent mind.
Click on the button below to book your free, no-risk preliminary session with Jessica today!
Book a Free Preliminary Session
What is the ‘Corporate Neurodivide’?
“Neuro”, short for neurological, in this instance, refers to the way a person’s brain is naturally wired. “Divide”, in this instance, refers to the communication and social differences between neurodivergent (autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, etc.) people and neurotypical (typical brain wiring, not neurodivergent) people.
Neurodivide occurs when people of different neurotypes attempt to communicate, socialize, and work together but continually misunderstand one another, leading to frustration and low morale among workers and a loss of productivity within the company.
Another contributor to this divide is the outdated idea that there is only one way to be “professional”, and anyone who thinks, communicates, acts, or works differently from what is considered “the norm” is deemed unprofessional.
What is the ‘Corporate Neurodivide’ Bad?
Due to the gap in understanding between “traditional” and “different” brains (ADHD, dyslexic, dyspraxic, etc.), neurodivide prevents thousands of neurodivergent people each year from gaining and/or retaining employment or succeeding in fulfilling careers.
Within the workplace, many neurodivergent employees are labeled as having behavior or performance issues that could easily be remedied through neurodiversity training, accommodations, and a shift in communication.
Due to the current gap in the corporate understanding of neurodivergence, HR is inundated with requests to deal with “problem” employees, and managers are pulling their hair out because their employees aren’t doing what they ask or are not doing the job they are required to do. Neurodivergent employees, for their part, are continually not getting their needs met and end up demonstrating behaviors mislabeled as “toxic”.
Over time, if the underlying cause of these miscommunications remains unknown and unaddressed, it can lead to the development of a hostile working environment.
Is your company currently experiencing any of the following?:
- Frequent arguments amongst employees.
- Decreased mental health/burnout.
- Increased call-outs and absences.
- High turnover/quiet quitting.
- Lack of genuine engagement/going through the motions.
- Confusion about job roles and tasks.
- HR mediation doesn’t solve problems.
It may be down to two different brain types working in the same office and clashing unintentionally; each employee speaking their own neurological language but not understanding one another, resulting in unmet needs that hurt morale, productivity, and your bottom line.
Jessica can provide you with the resources and education your company needs to get everyone on the same page while unlocking the innovative potential of your neurodivergent employees.
Book a Free Preliminary Session
Who Is Jessica Michaels?
For years, neurodivergent expert, facilitator, speaker, and manager at Adobe Enterprises, Jessica Michaels, searched for reasons why there was a persistent disconnect between her own experience and the way others perceived her.
She spent the first two decades of her career hearing puzzling variations of the same feedback, “You’re meeting all your goals, but you’re still failing. You can’t get along with people.” Even though her professional performance was continually rated as fantastic, she rubbed people the wrong way, and she didn’t know how to fix it.
Still, she leaned on her strengths and powered her way from recruiting and sales to leadership. When she wasn’t training, managing, or selling, she toured the Midwest as a standup comic. Over time, she became a recognized facilitator and speaker. However, the pattern repeated: Be a great individual contributor, get promoted to manager, and have things blow up spectacularly.
Finally, at age 40, she received a diagnosis that explained her lifelong struggles – She was both autistic and ADHD, (colloquially known in neurodivergent circles as AuDHD).
Suddenly, everything made sense. Her direct way of communicating that came across as too blunt, her literal way of thinking that caused confusion and made her neurotypical co-workers think she was messing with them, her forgetfulness that made others believe she didn’t care, her fatigue that made her appear lazy, etc.
Now that she understands the way her brain works and how it can affect the way she’s perceived in corporate settings, she’s eager to pass that knowledge onto you, to give you the insider’s scoop into neurodivergent communication, mannerisms, and traits as well as how to understand and accommodate them.
Book a Free Preliminary Session
LGBTQIA+/disabled/woman-owned small business
UPCOMING BOOK!
A Practical Guide To Navigating Neurodiversity for Employee Learning And Engagement.
