As someone with more than 50 years of experience in both industry and academia who also happens to be a person with autism, managers in charge of DEI at major corporations often invite me to give lectures. These companies range from steel, pharmaceuticals, computers, and consumer products to cattle and livestock handling, transportation, and social media. I always get asked the same basic question from management: What do they need to do to make their workforce more inclusive?
When Great Minds Don’t Think Alike
Temple Grandin on how to harness different kinds of thinking for creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.
May 23, 2023
Illustration by Lalalimola
Summary.
As organizations strive to make their workforces more diverse with respect to race, gender equity, and people with disabilities, leaders need to apply these same strategies to employees with different kinds of minds. The author, who has more than 50 years of experience in industry and academia, explains how she processes information as a visual thinker and shares how business leaders can harness the power of different kinds of thinkers. Doing so will increase creativity, ignite problem solving, and lead to more cohesive workplaces.