#40a an addendum to my Soft Skills email

I'm sorry. A part of my last email was ablist and I was called out for it.

One of the things I love about the People community is how we’re all willing to put ourselves out there and call out things we’re not comfortable with or we think are wrong and helping people see things from different points of view and walks of life.

In todays post, I said: “fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, talking almost entirely about themselves, or interrupting may suggest a lack of self confidence or poor communication skills”. One of my readers, Krista, emailed me a response. Krista said that the above line …

… was quite ablist. These actions can also be symptoms of neurodivergence. It’s problematic for hiring managers to assume that the meaning behind certain behaviors in themselves is the same for others. Coping behaviors are often amplified in high stress situations, and don’t imply confidence or communication deficits.

And you know what? Krista is absolutely right. I didn’t consider how this type of behaviour might be seen in a neurodivergent light. I shall correct the post on Substack, but obviously can’t correct an email, which is why you’re getting this addendum.

Thanks, Krista, for calling me out and keeping me honest. I’m sorry my post was ablist and promise to do better with future posts.

Thanks,

Mike