S9 E7: Work Isn't Set Up to Support Neurodiversity with Tameka Allen

Hard truth: work wasn’t built for all of us to thrive.  Neurodivergent folks seem to deal with a lot of norms when they aren’t the problem—the systems are.  I’m joined by Tameka Allen, founder of ModCulture and all-around brilliance-unlocker, to talk about how workplace “norms” actually exclude, alienate, and erase so many people.  From the myth of “professionalism” to the way orgs treat neurodivergence as a personal issue instead of a design flaw, we’re pulling no punches.  If you’ve ever side-eyed a workplace policy and thought, “who is this even for?” this one’s for you! 0:01:55 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:02:57 - What Does Being Neurodivergent Mean? 0:05:43 - A Workplace Norm We’ve Accepted as Normal that Wasn’t Built With Neurodivergent People in Mind 0:10:28 - Why Orgs Treat Neurodiversity Like a Personal Issue Instead of a Systems Issue 0:26:19 - How Does Professionalism Become a Code Word For Conformity and Masking? 0:35:02 - Workplace “Norms” to be Aware of That Alienate Employees 0:46:13 - Myths About Neurodivergence at Work That Need to End 0:50:23 - What Would an Ideal Workplace Look Like? Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠⁠lattice.com⁠⁠ to learn more. And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Tameka: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamekanallen/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef