LinkedIn has an abundance of content and much needed discussion posts around neurodiversity and the experiences of neurodiverse individuals in the workplace. The term neurodiverse refers to those with a wide range of developmental differences from what is considered normal, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and giftedness (among others).
This short newsletter is not enough to go into the full details of the gifted experience, but I'll provide a quick summary of what giftedness is and share some of my own experiences as a gifted adult. Learning more about giftedness in adults and the unique challenges we face in the workplace can help you (as a coworker, friend, or leader) to better understand and support us and help to provide potential solutions to common interpersonal conflicts and issues.
What is Giftedness?
The term gifted can be off-putting to some people, as people tend to feel it is elitist. Surely, gifted people are "better" than others - or at least they think so, right?
Most people don't characterize giftedness as neurodiversity, but it is! One of the least-discussed facets of neurodiversity, giftedness is usually only discussed in educational settings, as it relates to gifted children. However, we tend to forget that gifted children grow up into gifted adults and into a world that not only doesn't understand them but is quite unaware that they even exist.
Giftedness does come with many perks- such as above average intelligence (even genius level intelligence in many), higher levels of perception, feeling deeply, and higher levels of creativity. Giftedness also comes with what are called overexcitabilities, which according to Sharon Lind (www.sengifted.org) are "are inborn intensities indicating a heightened ability to respond to stimuli." Gifted persons are typically hypersensitive to their environments, with greater levels of perception than the norm. We tend to be emotionally intense, fast learners, deep thinkers, curious, and spiritually gifted with a high sense of morality and integrity.
However, if you ask a gifted person, we may list some of those very same things as challenges for us (our experiences are just as diverse as any other group though, so this may vary). Due to how society is set up, these gifts quickly can become liabilities, as they often mean that we don't fit in with the status quo, or normal ways of thinking and behaving.
Gifted adults often feel out of place, suffer from anxiety, depression, and have trouble developing and maintaining relationships, since others are put off by our intensity and difference. In the workplace, being a gifted adult can earn you instant enemies, simply based on societal perceptions of what giftedness is about. For example, we are often thought of as arrogant, stuck-up, bossy or controlling, simply because we may use different words than the norm while communicating or behave in ways that are different from what is expected.
An even bigger issue is that many gifted individuals don't know that they are gifted, and so may face many difficulties at work, without really understanding why. Interestingly, most other people can identify a gifted person as "different", although they may not have the words or terminology to know in what way. This makes it even more difficult for a gifted person to get the support they may need and makes it easier for people to make assumptions (often negative).
Typically, our difference is written off as a personality defect, mental illness, or some other shortcoming, which can cost us in our careers (inability to build relationships, lost opportunities, workplace bullying and mobbing, etc.) Many of us are also often mistaken to be autistic, which can co-exist with giftedness (or could be part of the same spectrum?) since there are many traits we share. (The misdiagnosis of neurodiverse individuals is an entirely different dilemma that we'll save for another article.)
Some experiences I've had as a gifted adult in the workplace include:
People being resentful/offended by my existence and being unable to communicate or identify anything I have done "wrong" to make them feel that way. Also being told that my gifts were something to be fixed or changed
Others competing with me, without me realizing it
Rumors, gaslighting and smear campaigns to discredit me or "bring me down to size" or to ruin/prevent positive relationships with key people in the company/dept. in an effort to isolate and ostracize me
Being perceived as a "know-it-all" when I am vocal; and as unfriendly if I am quiet (lose-lose situation...)
Being ridiculed for thinking outside of the box and being questioned about any and everything (Why do you talk like that? Why do you look like that? Why do you walk like that? How did you do that? Why are you like that?.....)
Rejection from the main group/peer group for being different. Most people fear difference, and so would prefer I disappear, as it is uncomfortable for them to have me around. So, they reject in different ways (avoidance, pretending I'm invisible, etc.)
Although identified as gifted as a kid, it was never really spoken of again, nor was I ever informed of what being gifted really meant (other than being smart). Not knowing you are gifted, and all that comes with it, can cause immense confusion as we enter the work world which attempts to force our round peg into society's square hole. Gifted individuals can become underachievers or may under-perform in the workplace, due to misunderstanding their differing needs and ways of working, while balancing the backlash received by simply existing.
Many leaders and HR departments are unaware of the existence of gifted adults in their organizations and are not equipped to identify and/or manage the types of conflicts and issues they have, leaving the gifted person with little to no direction or support. Additionally, if it is the leader who is envious or intimidated, they can intentionally isolate and punish the gifted individual, making matters much worse. So, what can we do? How do we create safe spaces for gifted individuals?
The first step in making workplaces safe for gifted, and other neurodiverse individuals, is to educate yourself and others on how we work, how we're different, and how you can learn to appreciate our differences. Leaders can learn best practices in managing us and our work, and coworkers can unlearn old stereotypes and perceptions that prevent us from building effective relationships with one another (while learning new, productive ways of interacting and understanding us).
I've listed a set of resources below from the experts that go into greater detail about what giftedness really is, the challenges we face, and how we can operate best. I highly encourage you to take a look- you may even discover you're gifted!
To learn more about giftedness:
Gifted Adults.com (this site also has information on adults in the work environment)
Gifted at Work:
Hi! I'm Nicole, an organizational consultant and personal coach, who is passionate about inspiring the changes our society needs for all to thrive. Using lessons learned from my own experiences and challenges, I hope to help people within organizations by creating mentally, socially, and emotionally healthy workplaces for all. Check out the other resources on this site for more ways to do just that!
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