Transcriber: Leonardo Silva Reviewer: Tanya Cushman
"Up to now,
you have been undertaught and undervalued."
That's what a professor at an elite university told me years ago
as we wrapped up a course of study.
I'm not really sure what he meant, at least at that time,
but with the benefit of a couple of decades,
I have a little bit more insight into how that might apply to me,
as well as perhaps to you.
One day when I was returning from lunch,
the boss summoned me to his office,
leaned over his desk and said,
"You are an oddball!"
That probably shouldn't have mattered very much, quite honestly,
but it did.
It hurt.
And as I thought about that,
while that idea was reverberating throughout my mind the rest of the day,
I became more upset.
When I arrived home after work,
my wife Andrea said, "Well, how was your day?"
So I rehearsed what happened;
she listened, and then she said,
"Maybe you should see a counselor."
Yeah.
Soon,
I was visiting with a psychologist.
As they finished their assessment, they said, "Layne, you have ASD."
"All-star doctorate. Sweet!"
(Laughter)
"No, no, that's just a diagnosis
for autistic -
spectrum disorder."
"What?
That doesn't even sound right.
After all, I've had world-class mentors,
I've held responsible positions in business and government,
I have HR credentials.
I've started businesses, I've been a presidential appointee,
and more.
How can that be?"
The psychologist said,
"Well, some people who get this diagnosis really resist it and deny it.
Others are more accepting of it."
Even though that was a shock to my system,
as I let that diagnosis land,
it was as if a light bulb -
no, maybe more like a rocket going off
because suddenly it was new insight everywhere.
I understood like never before
why I found myself from time to time in impossible situations
as well as what some of the key factors were
for creating those wonderful, mountain-top moments
that benefited me and others around me.
So, with that new insight,
I decided,
or perhaps, more accurately, was compelled to leave my old life behind.
I cannot cling to that in any way,
and instead, I am moving forward
with a new perspective on people and organizations
and their possibilities.
And that is the basis for my idea worth spreading tonight,
that I wish to share with you.
It is this:
autism at work works best,
and I will show you why.
The term "neurodiversity" is often associated, though not exclusively,
with autism.
But to be neurodiverse means to think differently
or to process sensory information
through a different channel and pathway in the brain.
It can also mean to do the same things in a different manner.
Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in America,
and no matter what the reported diagnosis rate is,
the actual rate is much higher
because there are many people
in every occupation up and down the food chain
who are autistic,
and they're completely unaware, just as I was,
who for over 20 years was making a successful contribution in business,
all the while not knowing that I was autistic.
Mostly, I'm reminded of some colleagues that I have had over the years
who were autistic as well.
For example, Matt.
He ran a thirty-million-dollar business.
He reported to me.
He was always decisive,
he was objective,
he was always self-accountable.
If something didn't go right, he never tried to blame someone else.
No, he was always there to be responsible,
whether is was his fault or not.
What an admirable trait.
Or Frank,
our sometimes irascible IT leader,
who seemed to be the only person
who could actually get this system to function as it should.
All of his projects were on time and on budget.
I call that "nirvana," by the way.
(Chuckles)
And as capable as both of those people were,
each of them also had some drawbacks,
some limitations,
in certain of their work relationships.
Now, I'm not saying, "Hire the handicap,"
as noble as that is.
No, I am saying, "Hire the best person,
but be open-minded to the idea
that that person could be a neurodiverse individual."
Neurodiversity is healthy in organizations.
To give you a sense of what it's like to be autistic in the workplace,
I'll share this incident with you,
and perhaps the same thing has happened to you.
One day, the CEO asks me and another guy
to come up with an idea that would benefit the company.
He wanted us to report in a week.
The other guy came up with this idea:
"Let's begin playing 'new employee orientation bingo.'
That way, our employees can have an incentive
to get around and meet folks that they don't even know."
I'm not sure how long it took him to come up with this idea;
maybe 10 or 15 minutes, maybe longer - I don't really know.
My idea was to improve our financial position
by realigning some business units.
I estimated that if we did so, we could improve our results by 5%.
Because I wanted my work to be excellent and actionable,
I documented it in a three-page memo.
When we came back to report to the CEO,
he decided to go with -
That's right.
He went with bingo.
I felt undervalued that day.
I thought maybe I over-delivered on the wrong thing.
I would ask you: is it possible that maybe I was also undertaught?
You know that day my boss called me an oddball?
He did me a favor
because I founded a company
that provides neurodiverse business strategies to organizations.
The power in neurodiversity is maximized
when the talent-management function is revitalized,
when managers understand how to work with neurodiverse populations
as well as when people with autism get some coaching
so that their interpersonal bandwidth can grow over time
and be more successful and effective.
Had we been dialed into neurodiversity that day when that assignment was given,
I'm quite sure we would have had a different outcome.
To begin with,
the CEO would have made sure that he was aware of how important it is
to be very specific as to what your expectations are,
whether they're economic,
operational,
reputational, social,
all of them, none of them, something else.
That really would have helped.
Similarly,
all of us would have been aware of how important it is
to hear all of the voices in the organization.
And "all" means "all,"
especially when some of those voices come from people who don't really say much.
Neurodiversity is also productive.
I know a man with autism
who was hired to fill a position
that required three to five years of experience.
He had no experience,
no training,
nobody on the inside pulling for him,
but he was hired by this international organization.
They trained him to be a lab tech.
He'll go to work at six in the morning.
He'll often work twelve-hour days.
He's earned the respect and the good will of his boss and his co-workers
because he is very productive.
He's also very precise.
That man is with us tonight.
He is TJ, my son.
(Applause)
As proud as I am of him, he is not alone.
Chase Bank reports
that their autistic employees are 40% or more productive
than a comparable non-autistic employee group.
Neurodiversity -
Neurodiversity is productive.
However,
it's really important to understand
that only approximately 20% of Americans who have autism
can actually hold a competitive job,
and many of them are never hired
despite being well-qualified.
Why is that?
I'll let you in on a secret.
Companies select based on fit.
And "fit"
is a cover word for "bias."
Microsoft is changing that.
They've sought out autistic candidates.
They've changed their interview process.
They've given them more time to showcase their abilities.
And clearly, Microsoft is an organization
that is interested in hiring substance over fit.
In addition to being productive, neurodiversity is innovative.
I know a man who had a PhD in science.
He worked in several high-tech facilities,
some of which had national security implications.
One of those was at the nuclear facility nearby.
This man was well-published,
he had several patents to his name,
and yet, if he was bored in a business meeting,
he would simply stand up and walk out.
(Laughter)
Now, be honest -
How many of you would like to do that, right?
(Laughter)
Of course, but you don't because it's rude.
His employer decided
that the value of his innovative contribution
far outweighed the social gaffes he might make from time to time.
He also is not alone.
There are several reports
indicating that people with autism can have IQs of 130 or more.
Highly capable.
So, question:
if neurodiversity is healthy, is productive and is innovative,
what is it that keeps decision makers from harvesting
the economic benefits of neurodiversity?
I believe the answer
is found in Greek mythology,
believe it or not.
Procrustes was a character who owned a hotel,
whose claim to fame was that he had an iron bed
that would magically fit the size of any traveler.
If an unsuspecting traveler decided to stay with Procrustes,
as they got into bed, if they were too short -
not a problem; Procrustes would simply stretch them.
If they were too tall,
he would lop off feet and heads.
That is an absurd business strategy.
(Laughter)
Procrustes is alive and well today.
Companies create value by doing something different than their competitors do.
That is the essence of business strategy, according to Michael Porter,
a leading authority on business strategy.
Neurodiverse employees
are among the best qualified to accentuate the right differences,
increase value
and gain a competitive advantage.
Neurodiversity is a competitive advantage.
Period.
Finally,
what is your personal contribution to neurodiversity?
Whatever it is,
whether it's ASD, ADHD, or something else,
never undervalue it or dismiss it,
because without you,
we are all less diverse and less successful.
Thank you.
(Cheers) (Applause)