It seems like everyone is worried about the economy right now. And for adults with Asperger’s, career issues can be especially challenging. But opportunity arises in times of change, and you can use the advantages of Asperger’s to build your career and ensure future job security.
Asperger syndrome is a condition that comes with strengths and weaknesses. The key to career success is knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and using them to your advantage. What are some of Asperger’s strengths? In many cases, people with Asperger’s are logical, technically competent, direct, hardworking, trustworthy, and honest. All the features today’s most efficient and cost conscious businesses need!
What About Asperger Syndrome Challenges? According to Tony Attwood, in The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, (2007, Jessica Kingsley Publishers), adults with Asperger’s may have difficulties with, among other things, teamwork, managing other people, organization, conflict, and managing change. In this article, I give some tips on how to minimize teamwork challenges by emphasizing your strengths. Look for future articles on other challenges.
Challenge: Teamwork problems
Suppose you have been assigned a group project and it is not going well. Think about the team goal here. The point is to get the job done. This is what you’re good at! Focus your energy on getting the job done, even if it means doing more than your share, or trying other people’s ideas, even when you know yours is better.
While it may seem like the team isn’t being fair or that others aren’t doing their part, it’s rarely worth complaining to management. Now they have bigger problems, and their boss probably expects the project to get done without spending administrative resources on it. Make it your goal to be part of a winning team. Trust that management will eventually figure out who is doing the work and who is just taking advantage of the efforts of others. The strengths of her Asperger’s give her a huge advantage here. Focus on the job and leave the political maneuvering to the people who aren’t doing their part. Your business can’t afford to carry dead weight, so you’ll pay attention to the results and who achieved them.
Coaching for Asperger’s Council for Teamwork:
Complaining to teammates can get you labeled as a whiner or a troublemaker. Adults with Asperger’s struggle with reading social cues, so it pays to get an unbiased opinion from someone else. Make a pact with yourself that you will always get a second opinion before discussing your group’s problems with anyone else in the office. Don’t complain to your boss without a second opinion!
Who to ask? Someone you can trust completely, preferably outside the company, such as a spouse, close friend, former colleague, or mentor. Explain what’s going on, ask your counselor’s opinion on specific people issues, and listen to that opinion. Social skills are not your forte, which is why you seek advice. If you’re not sure who to trust, you might consider hiring an outside trainer who is ethically bound to keep your conversation confidential.