An email conversation was the inspiration for this post. A friend of mine in the U.K. is developing a presentation for dyslexia awareness week and included a slide of famous dyslexics.

In the past, the slide would have slipped by without a thought as I have included images of famous dyslexics in my presentations.

Today, was different.  I could not get past the slide as I thought about our presentations and how we include famous dyslexics to generate awareness.

I am forever grateful for the famous individuals who have spoken about their dyslexia. Their voice was critically important five or ten years ago, to help build awareness. We needed them to educate the world about our intelligence, and that dyslexics could succeed.

Something was different today, as I kept thinking about all the dozens of professionals with dyslexia I have interviewed or who have sent emails asking for advice.

Conversations from conferences in the U.S. and U.K floated through my mind as I recalled their job success stories and workplace frustrations.

As I prepare for the release of my next book, How Dyslexics Will Rule the Future, I made a decision.

Starting today, in all my presentations going forward, I will talk about the unsung dyslexia heroes who in their jobs, develop on-the-fly workarounds, adapt to the ever-changing work environment, while using their dyslexia talents to solve complex problems or create something new.

I think about the chemist who uses his visual-spatial skills to develop new methods for refining crude oil, to the researcher who uses her big-picture thinking to solve problems for clients, or the micro-entrepreneur in Afraid who is starting a school for dyslexic students.  I think about my friend Skip Howard, who is a co-founder of Spacee, an amazing startup that designs spatial spaces.

There are millions of dyslexics, every day, in every profession, in every corner of the world, doing amazing work.  Quietly, often without help and support.

As you are preparing October Awareness blog posts, articles and social media posts, here are a couple of thoughts to keep in mind.

As a community, let’s focus first on our strengths, especially in the areas of creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, and spatial reasoning.  By 2020 these will be four of the most in demand skills.  I added spatial reasoning for the accelerated growth of augmented and virtual reality technology.

For educators, think about the future and incorporate innovative learning techniques and assistive technology to help all dyslexics students.  Instead of attempting to fix us, provide tools, software apps, and strategies to mitigate our dyslexia pain points.

For HR team members and managers, think of how you can support your dyslexic employees.  Generally, our request list is short, here are five of the most frequently mentioned request items.

1. Laptop loaded with accessibility features including audio software to read documents or audio dictate text.
2. Grammarly!! I’ve exchanged messages with one of the co-founders of Grammarly, and there are workarounds for using the software outside company firewalls.
3. Quiet space to work with whiteboard access and flat space or work cubbie for folders.
4. Unlimited supply of Post-It Notes, Sharpies, and Journals.
5. Mentor and support. It’s 2018; dyslexic employees should, without fear, be able to ask for tech and management support. (All employees should have the freedom to ask for support.)

October will arrive in 19 days.  Let’s think about where we really need to focus our efforts.

Our dyslexia roadblocks, challenges, and struggles make us stronger as we gained three of the most valued human traits – tenacity, perseverance, and determination. These traits cannot be taught.

Our talents, creativity, and different way of viewing the world is a competitive edge.

What defines us, is not our challenges.  Instead, I ask the world to defined dyslexics by how we use our talents and strengths, each, and every day.

This post is dedicated to the global dyslexic community.

Starting a new job is stressful.  For most of us, the first day brings back memories of starting new schools and having to navigate unfamiliar territories.

For neurodiverse professionals, starting a new job can present additional challenges as we work to quickly access and adapt to a new working environment.

My dyslexic brain has a difficult time remembering people’s names. Half the time, I am unable to phonically hear the sounds or even pronounce a team member’s name.

The first day is an obstacle of workarounds. The dyslexic brain shifts into a survival mode, to remember key information and people, similar to traveling in a foreign country.

During the initial hours of orientation and meet and greet, our brains are hyper-focused.  We notice subtle interpersonal dynamics, draw in our minds, a visual image of the how the company works and who are the strategic team members.  We’re mentally building an informal team who can provide help when needed.

In a nutshell, we quickly assess the lay of the land to devise workplace strategies to match our new environment.

When I worked in corporate, I rarely thought about the process because it occurred after years of developing these adaptive strategies.  Think creative problem-solving on steroids.

As I complete the final edits for How Dyslexics Will Rule the Future, I’ve added two short chapters for HR professionals.  These chapters include information for creating smooth and productive Onboarding First Days and Workplace Strategies for professionals who are dyslexic.

Three Key Tips for Making a Great First Day – Dyslexia Style

Accessibility Settings for Computer and Office Equipment

If your department does not have an accessibility technology request checklist for neurodiverse employees – create one.  A simple list of accessibility settings the new hire would like selected on their computer, company phone, and office equipment.

Having access to internal grammar and spell check software programs is a necessity for most dyslexics. My all-time favorite program is Grammarly. However, the software requires access to external servers which presents problems for most companies.  A workaround for Grammarly is web based Editor application.  I exchanged emails with Alex Shevchenko who is the co-founder of Grammarly.  He said the company works with corporations to develop internal applications. 

Important – send the checklist to the new hire a week or two before their start date to allow the IT department time to set up their computer and assistive tech software.

Having access to the company computer, email and internal systems on the first day is crucial.

Necessary Paperwork

In 2015, Shawn Rogers, talent acquisition expert, wrote about how to have a great First Day of Work.  One of the actions listed was completing the employment paperwork before the employee starts work.

One week before the start date, email the required paperwork so that all the forms can be completed before starting work. For professionals with dyslexia, having extra time to complete this laborious task without feeling rushed is an added benefit.  With the completed paperwork completed, new hires can focus on meeting with team members and learning about the company’s systems instead of filling out paperwork.

Company Welcome Mat

For a while, on LinkedIn, posting their First Day office swag photos was popular.  During the first day on the job, employees are accessing the company as much as fellow team members are checking out the new hire.

Businesses that make an effort to welcome all new hires and have team members available to help have lower turnover rates. No one likes walking into a new place and feeling unwelcomed.

Prior to the first day, assign a team buddy or someone from HR to meet the new hire and then help them during the day.

Set up their workstation with a computer, login information, and supplies which include a stack of different colored Post-It Notes, whiteboards and Sharpies.

Also, create an infographic of the team with their photos and a short bio. More visual information the better – think charts, workflows, and etc.  For example, on the team infographic Lauren – the guru of marketing, dog name is Champ, likes to eat Indian food on Fridays.  Josh – techie of the group, bikes every day, loves to hike.

Infographics help us create visual connections to remember names, job functions, and information for small talk topics for building interpersonal work relationships.

Creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for all hires is essential. Adding these extra tweaks for neurodiverse new hires can help reduce First Day stress so they can focus on what matters most – their new jobs.