Brainstorm – Dave Thompson

He responded, “There are no bad boys here.” He was right. If anyone was a bad boy, it was me. He was always very literal; his focus was on clocking in, doing a great job, and then going home. This team member was one of the kindest, most precise, and creative problem-solvers I’ve ever had the privilege of working alongside. It reminded me to let people work on the problems at hand instead of decoding new ones. But even when your words are clear, communication includes more than what’s spoken.

Eye contact, facial expressions, and posture are not universal indicators of emotion or intention. Just because someone didn’t smile doesn’t mean they didn’t care. Neuronormative expectations of charisma, warmth, or small talk can lead to false negatives in hiring and advancement. With this in mind, we shouldn’t draw conclusions based on someone moving or otherwise communicating something in an unexpected way, like in John’s story above.

The same goes for someone shaking their leg, speaking loudly, raising an eyebrow, or gazing out a window. But we should pay attention to the signals we might be sending, even when we don’t mean to. Neuroinclusion is for everyone, so we should allow the same grace to others that we extend to ourselves. The broader world of work still has a long way to go, which is why educating teams is a foundational step.

In the meantime, your tone, posture, gestures, and physical presence all shape how your message is received, regardless of whether the perception aligns with your intention. A crossed arm, a sigh, or a wandering gaze might be read as disinterest, even if you’re fully tuned in. Be intentional about how your tone, pace, and presence land. Paper and Screens The written form can be the most pragmatic method of communicating ideas, plans, assignments, and more.

It helps create consistency amongst teams and favors the busy, the thoughtful, the anxious, the distractible, and the precise. For some, it’s a lifeline. Not everyone speaks verbally at all. Hari Srinivasan, a minimally speaking autistic PhD student at Vanderbilt, shared, “Conversations are a real challenge. It’s like static between what I want to say and the actual act of talking. In the meantime, the person at the other end of the conversation is doing an impatient mental tapping of their foot, waiting for me to respond.

I may blurt out any random words or none at all.

CHAPTER 4: Tackle the Truth Look Up and Look Deeper We’re Not “All a Little Bit” Anything The Risk of Painting with a Broad Brush Don’t Call Us That Leave Us Up to Us Lessons over Labels Don’t Make It Weird Notes CHAPTER 5: Let People Show Up Let Us In Let Us Learn Let Us Contribute Let Us Challenge You Normalize This Notes CHAPTER 6: Save the Environment When Workspaces Work Against Us Shedding Light: Visual Environments Making Noise: Auditory Environments Making Moves: Movement and Physical Regulation Seeking Solace: Sensory Considerations Digital Design: Virtual Workspaces and Tools Party with Purpose: Events and Gatherings The Culture Container Notes CHAPTER 7: Sync or Swim How You Listen What You Say Paper and Screens Design for Dialogue Find Your Flow Stop the Static Notes CHAPTER 8: Let People Deliver Sensory Safety Customized Controls Staying Steady Optimizing Inputs Let Us Opt In High Tech High Touch Less Rules, More Tools Notes CHAPTER 9: Manage What Matters People Aren’t Problems Zoom In on the Right Stuff Assume Nothing, Explain Everything Build Something Better Growth over Grades The Belonging Business Collaboration Is Key Friction or Fiction Don’t Stop Notes CHAPTER 10: Humanize Hiring Why Finding a Job Stinks What Are You Really Hiring For?

Invite Us In Screen In, Not Out Break the Ritual Orchestrating Success Don’t Pick Based on “Vibes” Do It Before Day One Notes CHAPTER 11: Break Through Barriers Bias Buy-In Budgets Bureaucracy Borders and Belief Systems It Starts at the Top We’re Not the Issue Notes CHAPTER 12: Put It into Practice Fear Not Start with What You’ve Got Plan with Purpose Always Be Learning You Don’t Have to Do It Alone Be a Beacon Notes Conclusion Converging Systems Rising Pressure Your Move Forecast Doodle Descriptions Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Conclusion Acknowledgment About the Author Index End User License Agreement 1kitap1.com/en Praise for Brainstorm “This book is a rare blend of rigorous thinking and real-world relevance.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: b1495b3d28ead622
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 11,942,951 bytes (11.39 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 9781394388776, 9781394388783, 9781394388790
• Pages: 259
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 293.7 minutes
• Total Words: 58,740
• Total Characters: 380,375
• Average Words per Page: 226.8
• Average Characters per Page: 1468.63

Most Frequent Words

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