Is Discomfort Worth Embracing to Deliver Truly Neurodiverse Teams?

Professor Amanda Kirby, CEO of Do-IT Solutions., Campaigner for Neurodiversity, Medic, Knowledge Translator, researcher.

Originally published as part of The Neurodiversity 101 LinkedIn Newsletter.

Is discomfort worth embracing to deliver truly neurodiverse teams?

This insight is quite long but I felt it important to unpack what I have been thinking about. I am interested in how teams bond together or not… and what this means for productivity, creativity and innovation for all sorts of organisations.

Is comfort a good thing and what does it mean for team cohesion?

Team cohesion (cohesion=comes from the Latin word cohaerere, or “to cleave together.) is the strength of the bonds between members of a group and has been described as the “we-ness” where members are motivated to work together to achieve a common goal.

Have you ever met people, hired people or have new people in your team and have that feeling you get along with them so easily? But is that always a good thing in work settings? Do we always have to fit and be like each other?

Com-fort…

Middle English (as a noun, in the senses ‘strengthening, support, consolation’; as a verb, in the senses ‘strengthen, give support, console’): from Old French confort (noun), conforter (verb), from late Latin confortare ‘strengthen’, from com- (expressing intensive force) + Latin fortis ‘strong’. The sense ‘something producing physical ease’ arose in the mid 17th century.

If we are thinking about creating new solutions and ensuring there are diverse ways of thinking do we want everyone to think the same or come with new ideas?

It is really hard if you are the only one in a team who is thinking differently, or communicating in a different way. It becomes really hard to say what you think or even be heard.On the whole we usually don’t speak up in these situations. We can be better at identifying difference rather than seeking what we have in common.

Brains ‘in tune’ or out of synchrony in teams

Synchrony comes from Greek synkhronos “happening at the same time,”.

What makes us tune into others ( or not)… well it turns out it is a brain thing! Interbrain synchrony prepares people for interaction and beginning to understand it as a marker of relationships.

“An early, consistent finding is that when people converse or share an experience, their brain waves synchronize. Neurons in corresponding locations of the different brains fire at the same time, creating matching patterns, like dancers moving together. Auditory and visual areas respond to shape, sound and movement in similar ways, whereas higher-order brain areas seem to behave similarly during more challenging tasks such as making meaning out of something seen or heard. The experience of “being on the same wavelength” as another person is real, and it is visible in the activity of the brain.”

In one study with 174 people, researchers divided participants into groups of four. Some groups worked together as teams, while others worked independently. The scientists measured everyone’s brain activity while they solved problems.The results showed that:

• Team members felt closer to each other and cooperated more.
• Teams generally performed better than individuals on most tasks.

Most importantly, the level of brain synchrony between team members predicted how well the team performed.

*Interestingly, traditional methods of measuring team cohesion, like asking team members how they felt about the group, didn’t predict performance as well as brain synchrony did.

This research suggests that looking at how people’s brains sync up during teamwork could give us new insights into what makes teams successful, beyond what we can learn from just asking team members about their experiences.

Embracing discomfort in diverse teams

Diverse teams bring together individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. While this diversity fosters creativity and innovation, it can also create discomfort as team members navigate differences in communication styles, problem-solving approaches, and expectations. Rather than avoiding this discomfort, recognising and embracing it can lead to greater productivity—if the right conditions are in place. However, it may mean we need to be aware of different communication preferences and also chosen ways of working.

One person may love working ‘in the moment’ and another team member may need time for reflection to come up with new solutions.

There is a value in discomfort

Discomfort often arises when individuals encounter ideas, behaviours, or perspectives that challenge their own. This tension can feel unsettling, but it is also where growth and innovation occur. Diverse teams naturally bring a broader range of ideas to the table, forcing members to question assumptions and explore alternative solutions. I have written about neurodivergent biases before that may need to be challenged.

Studies show that teams that engage with diverse viewpoints are better at solving complex problems and making informed decisions.

However, discomfort can only be productive if team members feel safe to voice their thoughts and explore disagreements without fear of ridicule or reprisal. This is where psychological safety plays a critical role.

Contrary to the assumption in the query, research suggests that synchrony, rather than asynchrony, in brains is associated with increased productivity and better team performance.Studies have shown that when people work together or share experiences, their brain waves tend to synchronise

This synchronisation, known as inter-brain synchrony, has been linked to improved collective performance and intellectual productivity.

Research from Vicente et al (2023) xplored how brain waves align when two people work together on a decision-making task.In the experiment, pairs of participants used teamwork to guess the position of a point on a line, with a computer programme modelling their behaviour and expectations of each other. Researchers used brainwave measurements (EEG) to study how brain activity within and between individuals aligned in different frequency ranges (theta, alpha, and beta waves).

The findings revealed that alpha waves were linked to attention and executive functions, while theta waves were connected to learning from feedback. Synchronisation between the brains of the two participants was primarily driven by beta waves. These results provide new insights into how our brains work together to adjust and align behaviours during social interactions.

Other studies have shown that:

• In team discussions, higher levels of synchrony in body movements (which can reflect brain synchrony) correlate with a greater number of ideas generated
• During social interactions, brain activity patterns between individuals become more similar, especially in areas related to processing sensory information and making meaning
• Experiments with bats demonstrated that interbrain synchrony increased during social interactions and preceded increases in social behavior
• In human studies, researchers have found that inter-brain synchrony can predict collective performance in teams better than self-reported measures of group identification

However, it’s important to note that the brain can operate in different states, ranging from highly synchronised to asynchronous activity.

While synchrony appears beneficial for social interactions and collective tasks, asynchronous activity is typical of the aroused, individual brain.

Importantly, this suggests that both synchronous and asynchronous states may have their roles in different aspects of cognitive function and productivity.

Creating Psychological Safety

In order to share our differences and be better understood we need to feel safe to do so.I have written about ‘Psychological safety‘ before. It is the shared belief that a team is a safe space for interpersonal risk-taking. Safety encourages open communication, mutual respect, and trust.

To foster psychological safety in diverse teams, leaders and members can:

Model Vulnerability: Leaders can set the tone by sharing their own uncertainties or learning moments, showing that it’s okay to not have all the answers.

Encourage Curiosity: Teams should approach differences with curiosity rather than judgment, asking questions to understand rather than to challenge.

Establish Norms for Respectful Debate: Clear guidelines for communication can help ensure that debates remain constructive and focused on ideas, not individuals.

Celebrate Differences: Highlight and value the unique contributions each team member brings to the table.

Turning discomfort Into productivity and greater creativity

When team members feel safe and supported, they are more likely to engage with discomfort constructively.

This enables:

Enhanced Creativity: Different perspectives can spark new ideas and approaches.

Better Decision-Making: Teams that consider a wide range of viewpoints avoid groupthink and make more robust decisions.

Increased Engagement: Feeling heard and valued boosts individual motivation and team cohesion.

Practical steps for leaders

As a species we are defensive about things that are novel or foreign to us. A workplace where there is psychological safety means people generally feel less threatened and then less defensive.

Practical strategies include:

Facilitating dialogue: Encourage open discussions about how differences are experienced within the team and how this makes people feel. Do we shut down or recognise that we may communicate in different ways?

Providing training: Offer resources on effective communication, unconscious biases, and also the need for conflict resolution rather than letting it bubble and grow…

Creating inclusive systems: Ensure that team processes and policies are designed to support diverse and inclusive ways of working.

Conclusion

Discomfort in diverse teams is not a problem to be solved but an opportunity to be embraced. By fostering understanding and creating true psychological safety, teams can harness the power of diversity to drive innovation, resilience, and exceptional performance. Instead of fearing discomfort, let’s reframe it as the starting point for meaningful collaboration and growth. We need to value diverse brains!

Blog Author

I am Amanda Kirby, CEO of Do-IT Solutions a tech-for-good company that delivers thought provoking consultancy and neuroinclusive guidance and training. We have developed cutting edge web-based screening tools that have helped 10s of 1000s of people. We strive to deliver person-centered solutions relating to neurodiversity and wellbeing.

I am a mixed bag of experiences and skills, an odd ball… and have 25+ years of working in the field of neurodiversity.

I am a medical doctor, Professor, and have a Ph.D. in the field of neurodiversity; parent and grandparent to neurodivergent wonderful kids and am neurodivergent myself.

Theo Smith and I wrote the UK award-winning book Neurodiversity at Work Drive Innovation, Performance, and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce. My 10th book came out called Neurodiversity and Education in March this year. Excitingly, Theo and I have another book coming out next year!