Research Biologist turned award winning HR leader, Poet and now Executive Coach
Marie Quigley: Hello and welcome listeners. It's great to be back after a lovely long summer break. My name's Marie Quigley and I'm not with my lovely business partner today. She's somewhere in the UK. I know she's moved here so we've got exciting news about Jeanine being back here that we'll share when we're on a podcast together. And today I've got a wonderful guest that I'm really looking forward to her sharing her thoughts, her experiences, and her research with us. And I've got the wonderful Dr. Kate Jenkinson, research scientist, experienced HR professional, and public spoken word poet. Her work is really phenomenal. And also, as well as that, she's an executive coach to neurodivergent talent. Welcome, Kate.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson:Â Well, what an introduction! Sounds like me wearing many different hats as usual.
Marie Quigley:Â Very appropriately. You've got one of your hats on today. Actually, that's how I met you, in a hat, at the summit in July.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson:Â Yes, it was rather a warm day from what I remember as well, but perhaps important.
Marie Quigley: Yeah, and we'll get into why the hat's important. Listeners, I met Kate at the Sheffield Coaching Exchange in-person event, Gather and Grow. It was an amazing event, the first in Sheffield for all coaches. I was one of the speakers, and I opened the session, and Kate closed the session with a magnificent spoken word experience of the whole day. And also an invitation for us as coaches, as people and participants in the room, to write our own spoken word poetry. So it was a beautiful experience. It was my first meeting with you, Kate.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Yeah, well, that was where we all met, I think, from the Sheffield Coaching Exchange. The first time they'd had the conference face-to-face, and it was a truly brilliant event. I think lots of people had a fantastic experience of that day. So yeah, it was an honor to close it, to be honest.
Marie Quigley:Â Yeah, and thanks to Julie and Chloe and Alex, once again. I'm not even sure I've acknowledged them in the podcast since then for arranging such a fantastic event.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson:Â Yeah, yeah, it was wonderful.
Marie Quigley: And then the second time we met, Kate, was in person at Sheffield University. You did a wonderful event on Aphantasia—hope I've got that right.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson:Â Yeah, well, let's see how I say it anyway. Some people say Aphantasia, so you can say it either way.
Marie Quigley:Â Aphantasia is how you described it as well, and you had a fun while doing it.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson:Â Yes, I do like my t-shirts as well as hats, perhaps.
Marie Quigley: Yeah, and so I just thought, you're fascinating, you're interesting, and you bring something different to the experience of coaching. You offer us, as coaches, something different to think about when we're working with our clients. And I just thought, what a wonderful opportunity that you said yes to coming on and sharing with all of our listeners all around the world about what you do and what we should be thinking as coaches that might be out of your normal awareness.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Well, again, I'm honored to be here. I think it's an interesting observation that I bring something unique and different, but I'm just going to be me. I'll just show up as I am, and hopefully that will spark different thoughts in others. So, you know, being authentically myself and sharing how I experience the world, I think, does provide a different perspective with the characteristics mentioned, Marie, so I’ll honor that approach.
Marie Quigley:Â So, tell us a little bit about your journey. What brought you into the world of coaching, executive coaching, and particularly coaching neurodivergent talent?
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Yes, so, well, it is quite an interesting journey in itself. I didn’t intend to become an executive coach. That wasn’t part of my original career aspirations at all. I started out, as you said, in HR, organizational psychology, and that kind of space. So I did my first degree in psychology and then kind of moved into that field. But I think, for me, the turning point came when I discovered more about myself and my own neurodivergent traits. So I'm autistic, and I didn’t realize that until quite late in life. It was only really when I started reading about autism in women, in particular, that I realized, "Oh, okay, this explains so much of why I feel different or why my experiences have been slightly different from other people’s." And that led me into the world of neurodivergence and supporting neurodivergent talent because I realized how much I had struggled in the corporate world. I had really found it difficult to fit in with the neurotypical expectations and environments, and that’s really what led me into coaching. I wanted to help others who were experiencing the same struggles and challenges that I had faced, and I wanted to support them in a way that I hadn’t been supported.
Marie Quigley: Wow, that’s really powerful. So, through your own experience of discovering that you’re autistic, you’re now able to help other neurodivergent individuals navigate the corporate world and their careers more effectively.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Exactly, yes. And I think one of the things that’s really important is understanding that neurodivergence isn’t something that needs to be "fixed" or changed. It’s about embracing who we are and finding ways to work with our strengths rather than against them. So, my coaching approach is very much about helping neurodivergent individuals to understand their strengths, to understand how they can leverage those strengths in their careers, and to also navigate the challenges that come with being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world.
Marie Quigley: That’s such an important message, Kate. It’s not about trying to fit into the mold of what’s expected in the corporate world, but rather embracing who you are and working with that. I love that.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Yes, and I think it’s also about helping organizations to understand that as well. It’s not just about coaching the individual to adapt, but also coaching organizations to be more inclusive and to create environments where neurodivergent individuals can thrive.
Marie Quigley:Â Absolutely. So, what would you say are some of the key challenges that neurodivergent individuals face in the workplace, and how do you help them navigate those challenges?
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Well, there are many challenges, but I think one of the biggest ones is communication. Neurodivergent individuals often have different ways of processing information, different ways of communicating, and that can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or miscommunications in the workplace. So, a lot of the work I do with my clients is about helping them to communicate more effectively, to understand how their communication style might be perceived by others, and to also advocate for themselves in the workplace.
Marie Quigley: That’s really interesting. So, it’s not just about helping them to understand how they communicate, but also helping them to advocate for themselves and ask for the support they need.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Yes, exactly. And that can be really empowering for individuals, especially if they’ve spent years feeling like they have to hide who they are or adapt to fit in. Helping them to find their voice and advocate for their needs can be a really transformative experience.
Marie Quigley:Â I can imagine. And what about organizations? How do you work with them to create more inclusive environments for neurodivergent individuals?
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: So, a lot of the work I do with organizations is about raising awareness and educating them about neurodivergence. There’s still a lot of misunderstanding and stigma around neurodivergence, and part of my role is to help organizations to understand what neurodivergence is and how they can create more inclusive environments. It’s about helping them to see the value that neurodivergent individuals bring to the table and to create workplaces that are flexible and accommodating to different ways of working.
Marie Quigley: That’s so important. And what would you say to coaches who might be listening and want to work with neurodivergent clients? What advice would you give them?
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: I would say, first and foremost, be curious and open-minded. Neurodivergence is such a broad spectrum, and every individual is different, so it’s important not to make assumptions or generalizations about what neurodivergence looks like. And also, be willing to learn. There’s a lot of information out there about neurodivergence, and I would encourage coaches to educate themselves and to also seek out supervision or mentoring from someone with experience in this area if they’re unsure about how to approach working with neurodivergent clients.
Marie Quigley: That’s great advice, Kate. It’s about being curious, being open, and being willing to learn.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson:Â Yes, exactly. And also, remember that neurodivergent individuals are the experts in their own experience. So, listen to them, ask them what they need, and be guided by them.
Marie Quigley: That’s such an important message. Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us today, Kate. It’s been a really enlightening conversation, and I’m sure our listeners will have gained a lot from your wisdom.
Dr. Kate Jenkinson: Thank you, Marie. It’s been a pleasure to be here and to share my experiences. I hope it’s been helpful for your listeners.
Marie Quigley: Absolutely. And for our listeners, if you’d like to find out more about Kate and her work, you can visit her website or connect with her on LinkedIn. Thank you all for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time on the Empower World Coaching and Leadership Podcast.
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