About Beth:
Beth was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia at university. It affected her reading and writing, time management and focus.
She entered the working world without any support beyond the diagnosis and spent four years with a London based company as a Researcher.
Why Beth came to us:
After a particularly busy period in work, Beth became quite overwhelmed with the expectations of her and the sheer volume of the workload. She needed to take a step back and sought help in the form of personal therapy to manage her anxiety. At the same time, her manager and HR team put her directly in touch with Exceptional Individuals. Until this point, she hadn’t been aware of this type of workplace support.
Required
- Clearer focus
- Help with time management
- To be more assertive with her needs from the team
- A calmer working environment
Delivered
- Processing & retention advice
- Organisational & planning methods
- Self advocacy skills
- Strategies to manage stress & anxiety in the workplace
What Did We Do?
Through one-on-one coaching sessions, Beth addressed the key areas she felt like she needed support in. She describes her journey as one of acceptance.
“I don’t think I’m alone in this – you try and overcompensate because you feel like you’re at a disadvantage. I do have a slightly different way of thinking and approaching things, this brings certain positives to my role but there are also challenges, and I need to accept those challenges and think about ways in which to accommodate them rather than trying to pretend it’s all fine.”
The sessions worked in three ways – 1. identifying issues, 2. identifying new approaches, 3. tying the two together practically. Beth’s coach established a focus on personal advocacy, workflow and team communication.
Beth acknowledges that sometimes she has to work for longer and harder even with newly learnt strategies in place. But she has become a lot more organised as a result. The sessions helped her find a way to be more forgiving if she became overwhelmed or not able to complete a task as quickly as other peers. “Self-esteem issues don’t disappear but understanding the reason why you feel that way is key.”
What happened next:
Since we have been supporting Beth, she has changed jobs, in part due to the confidence she acquired during these sessions. Beth feels more capable of being able to cope with the change and also a step up in her role. Prior to this point she also wouldn’t have had the conversation with her new employers about her neurodiversity, but the training has helped with the confidence to discuss it. Her new employers are in full support and have stated that if there’s anything she needs, she must let them know.
What Beth said:
“For me, it was all about acceptance. There are ways in which you can learn how to help yourself. EI will support you in doing that. You don’t need to feel insecure.”