Subscribe Via RSSLatest Posts
Lessons Learned From The September Issue
Over the weekend I watched The September Issue, a documentary about Anna Wintour and her role as editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine. For the uninitiated, Anna Wintour is notorious for being unbelievably powerful in her industry and also for her “Ice Woman” reputation.
Despite what other reviewers thought of her, I found her to be someone I could look up to and learn a few lessons from. As an aspie I’m told to pursue my talents, yet as a woman I’m expected to mind others’ feelings. What I like about Anna Wintour is that she’s not afraid at all to go after what she knows she’s good at, regardless of what anyone says about her.
Lesson 1: She’s not afraid to be good at what she does.
Too often we are given reasons to hold back our talents. It might make someone else feel inadequate, so we don’t want to hurt their feelings. Can you believe that over time I’ve learned to add grammatical errors to my writing? People seem to find it more relatable, but it makes me feel like I’m giving up a piece of my soul.
Anna, on the other hand, knows her talents and isn’t afraid to use them. She understands that her job is to protect the brand and promote an industry by selecting only the best work, so that’s what she stays focused on. She sets the bar high for her employees and will cut as many pages as she needs to in order to create the product she has in mind. Without a doubt this causes a lot of hand-wringing and upset among the employees, but when you separate their emotions from the situation you can see how talented she is and how much better the end product is because of her.
Learned: Stay focused on your passions and don’t compromise yourself.
Lesson 2: She’s unapologetic about who she is but gives credit to those who are different from her.
While reviewers are taking this opportunity to indulge in some good old-fashioned Anna-bashing, they’re singing the praises of the magazine’s creative director, Grace Coddington. For all of Anna’s precision and terseness, Grace envelops you in sentiment. Personally, I got the impression that it might require a full-time job just to put up with Grace’s whining. But…I say whiny, you say “warm and languid“.
Anna is careful to praise Grace’s talent and credit her influence while acknowledging their differences. Who knows what she really thinks or if this is what she does IRL, but she’s figured out that when it really counts (like when a film crew is following her) it’s important to show an appreciation for the way different personalities and talents work together.
Learned: Show an appreciation for the diverse roles people play in your life.
(Sidebar: Yes, I did use the words “aspie” and “talents”. You can feel free to substitute the word “autistic” in there. Anyone can have passions, and everyone has something they do best.)
Guest Post: Picking Our Teams
On Wednesday we read Michael’s inspiring story about how rewarding it can be to find the perfect employment match. Ike Dealey has been working hard to create a company in the US that would also focus on highlighting the talents of employees on the spectrum. You might remember reading about Autlabs in a post from a few months ago, and I’m so glad he’s finally here to tell the story in his own words.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ”
This is one of the most profound statements in our history. It’s an ideal worthy of our commitment. In practice however, we as Americans haven’t always abided by the principals set forth by our founders. It doesn’t say “white men” or “able bodied men”; it says “all men”. Throughout the history of our nation we’ve seen slavery, Jim Crow, women’s suffrage and hate crimes against those in the GLBT community. Although we’re grateful that Jim Crow is gone and slavery nearly so, we have yet to achieve true equality for any of these groups. We’re still working to ease racial tensions, to close the salary gap for both blacks and women and to secure equal rights for our GLBT brothers and sisters.
Imagine what it would be like to be a small part of bringing real change to the daily lives of all those affected by autism or other disabilities. Today there is a giant employment gap for people with disabilities. It is our responsibility to close this gap. Just as it required dedication and commitment to bring women the vote and to end Jim Crow, it will not be easy; however, what is the cost of doing nothing? Don’t you want to say, “I make a difference”?
When I created the AutLabs website several months ago, I knew it would be hard. I didn’t choose to do it because I thought it would be easy, I chose to do it because I can’t sit idly by while injustice is done to the people in my community. If we see injustice and we do nothing, are we not equally responsible? As I’ve forged ahead with this project, I’ve discovered that I am not alone; we are not alone. You have shown me that there is a great movement of people eager to help create jobs for people with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, you only needed someone to point the way. Together we are solving the employment challenge. If you’d like to know more about how we’re meeting this challenge, please read our new article Picking Our Teams (pdf).
Guest Post: Being Employed With Aspergers Syndrome
Michael Drejer lives in Denmark and works for BOAS Specialister, formerly known as Specialisterne. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Michael, not just as a fellow aspie, but as a person. When you talk to him, it quickly becomes clear that he’s blossomed since his diagnosis into someone who has figured out what adaptations are needed to live independently and successfully with Aspergers.
When I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 2003 at the age of 25, I had already pretty much given up hope of ever finding and getting a job that was right for me. All I had to show for my job skills was a high school diploma with a lousy grade average, and a few exams which I barely passed when I tried studying to become a school teacher and when I tried getting a bachelor degree in English at the university, neither of which I finished.
Apparently it is difficult for people with Asperger’s Syndrome to get a job or keeping a job, which was exactly what I had experienced as well. Fortunately, it does not have to be like that. In fact, hiring aspies for certain niche jobs can be of a great mutual advantage both for the aspie and for the company hiring.
I found such a job, through complete and unbelievable luck by reading an article about it in a local newspaper.
I started out in a 5-month trial period, where I was given assignments that were designed to expose my strengths and weaknesses regarding my work skills. Doing follow-ups on assignments was important and also discovering what sort of work environment was optimal for me. Personally I prefer to work in a room without any direct, bright light, and I don’t like to sit with my back towards a door or where people can look over my shoulder. These things make me really uncomfortable and distract me from my work.
On Fall and Change
I woke up at some point over the weekend and it was fall. The light started to take on a frosty diffused quality, and I bought these pumpkin-on-a-stick branches from the farmers market. (pictured on left)
Most people will tell you they like spring or summer because they crave the warmth and sunshine, but I’m looking forward to fall. Bring on the melancholy and bundling up!
Another change I’m looking forward to is one I’m making on my own. Lately I’ve been feeling like a victim in my neighborhood, and that just isn’t working for me anymore. People have been cursing at me and making racist comments – perfect strangers, all unprovoked. Even if you’re not a minority, you might know how it feels to be tormented for being different as an aspie.
A fellow aspie suggested discouraging the harassment by holding my head up high whenever I go out, and yeah it totally worked! I’m not talking about literally holding my head up. I mean exuding confidence by embracing my inner self instead of worrying about how polished and perfect I could look, just to impress a bunch of women who will never give me the time of day anyways.
While we’re on the topic of change, I’m excited to tell you that I have two guest bloggers this week writing about what could be done to change employment for adults on the spectrum.
Why You Need A Mentor At Work
Do you have a mentor at work?
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the teacher next door when I taught 8th grade. Man, she was loud! She could holler from her desk next door and all of my students (who were her students 2 years prior) would cower under their desks. But she had a sixth sense about when I was feeling overwhelmed and could keep everyone in check. I could go running into her room freaking out about something and she would let me know when I was being ridiculous. But when something was really wrong, she would march down to the office and yell at the principal for me. I would never have made it through my first year of teaching middle school without her.
Looking back at all of the jobs where I felt successful and happy, what all of them had in common was that I worked with some kind of mentor. In some cases, the person was meant as a quasi-supervisor because the boss was just too busy to tell me everything I needed to know. In others, it was a coworker who had been doing the job much longer than I had.
I think it’s especially important for an aspie to have a good grasp on what his or her assigned tasks are and to know how to access the things/information they need to get the job done. Too often communication from a supervisor or boss doesn’t come until you’ve done something wrong, so you don’t get a chance to find out ahead of time what you’re actually supposed to do and how to do it! But a good mentor enjoys showing you exactly what you’re supposed to do, how to get ahold of everything you need, and gives you useful feedback – so you don’t have to wait for a higher-up or risk being disciplined for doing something wrong.
Someone who might be a good mentor:
- Is in a higher position than you or has been in the same position as you for much longer – someone who sees you as competition will not help you, and someone who is inexperienced may not know enough or have enough time to help you.
- Should be someone you can trust not to talk about you behind your back
- Has a good relationship with your boss and some influence in the workplace
In all of the situations where I had a mentor with a strong standing in the hierarchy, working with them made up for the fact that I wasn’t able to socialize much with my other coworkers. They knew not to mess with me or risk having my mentor come after them and rat them out to the boss. But when I didn’t have one I was completely on my own and felt very lost. Knowing how important this is now, I’d be more proactive about finding a mentor in the future.
Currently Reading
Elsewhere
