Neurodiversity · Leadership & Workplace Culture · Boundaries & Capacity
Capacity Is Not a Fixed Setting
Accountability and curiosity can coexist. Practical questions for managers about changing conditions, clear feedback, and supporting different methods toward the same meaningful standard.
"You did this perfectly last week. What's the problem?"
If you manage people, you've probably said some version of that. I have asked versions of that question about myself.
ADHD Awareness Month ends tomorrow, so this one is for managers.
Try this instead:
"I noticed this went differently last week. Let's look at what changed."
Capacity is not a fixed setting.
Same person.
Same intelligence.
Same skill.
Different conditions.
Accountability and curiosity are not opposites. You can say: "I need this completed. What would help you complete it?"
Neuroinclusive leadership isn't expectation-free leadership. It is leadership informed by the reality that people may need different conditions, methods, communication, or supports to reach the same meaningful standard.
Three more questions from Grounded in How I'm Wired:
→ Is this behavior interfering with the work, or interfering with my picture of what working should look like?
→ What part of this is requiring the most effort?
→ Is my feedback specific? Ambiguity isn't kinder.
The goal isn't special treatment.
It's ordinary difference.
Managers, which of these could you try in your next one-on-one?
Join the conversation on LinkedIn ↗
Personal reflections by Lynn Cirillo. About this writing.