I would second Greensleeves in that I salute you for reaching out. This is such a positive initiative.
It is an important topic, what would work from ASD perspective. Nobody ever asks that.
I am on the spectrum and worked for various corporates, although not in tech, but I hope some of it would be relevant. Rereading it sounds a bit intense, please don’t take offense,
Since you mention performance management, I would first say, please don’t make it a lip service and in practice manage the employee out immediately after the condition was disclosed because of ‘litigation risks’ or whatever, sometimes by constructive dismissal tactics or through bullying – the easiest route. Because that happens a lot and is very traumatic to individuals concerned. If you hire people on the spectrum for their talent, you need to recognise that their Asperger’s is integral to and perhaps the underlying reason for it. They wouldn’t have their skills and qualities otherwise, you can’t take Asperger’s out.
Please don’t reduce it to a token of doing something minimal with sensory issues.
The most important thing is you need to enable, allow them to function in their own way. Have more autonomy and keep well intended others from micromanaging them into the NT way. Because it is the only way they can be effective, they can’t function well when pretending to be NT, it consumes huge resources. I am sure you are aware that they are wired differently, it is a different hardware and a different operating system and all that. Try to consider the far-reaching implications of this, follow it through all the way. Their talent and contribution is in doing it differently, their way, you can’t take Asperger’s out.
The definition of disability is to achieve the same goals via different means, in a different way. I think a company that enables Aspies to thrive should actually infuse their culture with the acceptance of this understanding. It should be disability-positive. The message should be ‘It is OK to function differently, it is equally valid, we value diversity’.
Look carefully to not measure their performance by neurotypical yardsticks of displayed behaviour. Aspies do build relationships and influence people, they do network, but in a different way, purposefully, when they switch on influencing mode, because they have a goal, via channels that work for them, 1:1, on the issues basis. Unstructured social gatherings don’t work for them as a channel. You also might consider that one of key feature of Aspie mind is to not veto ideas through the filter of popularity, how well it will be received, at least in first instance. So the ‘innovation tribe’ should be open minded and inclusive in culture, and not to be a ‘popularity clique’.
How many times a day they are observed chatting with colleagues? Tic
How many social gatherings are they part of? Tic
How often do they smile? Tic
How popular is what they say ? Tic
Would their peers elect them to be promoted? Tic
All this Goleman stuff is tailored on TN preference and can be toxic for Aspies in the workplace if applied literally. I mean, performance indicators like this do exist. Try not to penalise for Asperger’s behaviours, try to encourage and recognise alternative ways of reaching goals.
So on your social group thing, it could become quite impossible for them if it is unstructured and dominated by ‘popular’ characters. What might help is to have groups by topic, where an interesting issue might be discussed and contributions are welcome. Tell them explicitly how signing up and contributing to the group can help them to achieve a goal, an interest they already have. Guide them on how to play their expertise, endorse them, give them some currency for the social capital in that tribe. Tell them to sign up and contribute. They might email an idea, or join a web chat. Purposeful, deliberate, issue and interest based participation via a chosen channel.
Their tribe could be their task force /project team, so when a team or project is changed or ended, they are lost and disoriented, you need to mentor them into a new tribe.
The other thing is managers should role model the correct attitude to disability, equality and bullying. Bullying is always wrong, but Aspies seem to attract it, are more vulnerable to it, and the way management is seen to look at it is crucial. Management don’t need to bring up Aspergers and disability if nobody disclosed the condition and there is no demand. But bullying and discriminatory discourse shouldn’t be allowed to gain traction.
The other thing about disability-positive culture is to be clear that ‘reasonable adjustments’ are not an unfair advantage, they are there to eliminate the disadvantage of the disability, to put people on equal footing. It is important that NT colleagues and management understand and role model this understanding. There shouldn’t be practices that create room for NT groups of people to prevent and veto adjustments for the Aspies. It is easier to avoid such situations than manage them. There was a thread recently, where a person with ASD asked for lunch breaks at regular times, not having to negotiate it with others all the time, and there was an outcry that this in unfair to the others (at that workplace and on MN thread). The negotiation and uncertainty creates huge disadvantage and anxiety for the Aspie for a relatively petty issue. This creates bad climate and prevents the disabled person from functioning. Autonomy is key, decoupling the autistic person from the decisions by groups of others on minor modalities which have disproportionate effect on Aspies functioning. Obviously you wouldn’t be changing all lighting into pink for one person, but there is no need to prevent one person from wearing pink glasses… [just an example, I don’t mean pink glasses is a thing]
Have clear policies, boundaries, rules for autistic person to comply with (after considering they don’t put at a disadvantage etc), be clear and fair in expectations. Be clear on the parameters of the business – what to achieve, within what time and budget, with what constrains, whom ask for input, special considerations – spell politics explicitly via mentors, buddies. But choose the battles as it were, enable flexibility on how they manage themselves.
Have mentors, buddies, who are genuinely committed to equality, who wouldn’t ridicule behind their back. Have regular feedback from the manager. They say that autism is an anxiety disorder. When Aspies are uncertain of their standing, of what is going on around them, they get anxious and can make things worse. It is important to feel supported and informed by your manager. Knowing whom to trust.
I don’t mean it’s necessary to ‘diagnose’, label people, talk openly about disability and law if nobody identifies as disabled, or on the spectrum. But I think it is important for the culture to project, for the management to role model those principles, the values, be enabling, inclusive, validating and accommodating to the ‘quirkiness’.