An interview with Sarah Tancell
Tell us a bit more about you?
I think I’d have to start with my sense of humour, but you’d have to spend some time with me to find out more!
I’ve spent most of my working life struggling with my neurodivergence – I’ve known since my University days that I had Dyslexia but to be diagnosed with additional neurodivergences in my early 40s was life changing – It allowed me to create a different approach to work, manage my energy and time which brought more happiness and balance by the bucket loads into my life.
What have you enjoyed most in your career?
Using my ND strengths to build great businesses! I started my first business in my 20’s which became an award winning HR consultancy. Actually, that’s a lie, I also had a wholesale jewellery business when I was doing my CIPD as the fees were extortionate!
What are your greatest career achievements?
Aside from my HR consultancy, my biggest achievements include being featured in People Management Magazine as well as being a regular on BBC radio Oxford as a thought leader.
Then this, Sarah Tancell Neurodiversity Consultancy – using all my experience both personal and professional to create something that I hope will help so many neurodivergent individuals who are struggling in the workplace.
What haven’t you enjoyed in your career?
Working in environments where leadership didn’t know how to support me because of my neurodivergent brain. I was so frustrated and miserable.
It’s why I’m so passionate about this business, supporting the neurodiverse community and breaking down the barriers that prevent them from reaching their career potential.
Everyone deserves to feel empowered and supported in order to be truly successful – It’s what gets me out of bed each day.
What makes Thrive different from the competition?
My breadth of experience and my brain!
I’ve worked in HR for over 20 years and in my most recent role I was an International HR Director, so I understand how organisations operate along with the people strategies needed to make them successful.
I’ve also run my own businesses and understand the stresses that go into creating brand awareness, consistent turnover as well as employee engagement all whilst remaining competitive AND profitable.
Finally, I am triple neurodivergent, therefore my lived experience of surviving the neurotypical workplace is pivotal in how I structure and deliver programmes for organisations and their employees.
I also work with a team of Consultants who are a mixture of neurodivergent and neurotypical brains which brings broad perspective and insights to create the very best solutions for workplaces – in my humble opinion!
What outcomes can people expect from working with you?
Well firstly, I want them to feel as though they’ve had a best in class experience and guidance of working with me and the team.
They’ll have a greater understanding and appreciation of their neurodivergent employees, with key strategies in place to support their entire workforce, not just their neurodiverse community.
For individuals who go through my coaching programme, they will feel in control of their work life with an individual career/development pathway designed for success using their unique neurodivergent strengths.
What are your top tips for workplaces who are introducing a neurodiversity programme?
Firstly – do it for the right reasons – neurodiversity programmes should never be a tick-box exercise, they need to play a key role in creating a workplace environment that embraces diversity and actively encourages different perspectives and thinking styles.
Get buy-in from the senior leadership team early as they will be key in securing psychological safety for employees to disclose their neurodivergence.
Be prepared for the flood gates to open, 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent so you’ll need the right resources in place to support those who have been brave enough to speak up and share their experience and challenges.
Ensure you have trained your leadership and people managers with the correct terminology and language skills to have conversations with neurodivergent employees.
Remember that you can’t fix neurodiversity – but you can make an individuals work life so much better with some easy and cost efficient workplace adjustments.