Episode 188 – Unlocking the Strengths of Dyslexic Individuals on Project Teams
The podcast by project managers for project managers. In this episode we dive deep into the world of dyslexia and how it impacts a team's productivity and success. Carlene Szostak and Madeline Szostak Hoge discuss the challenges dyslexic employees face and how to harness the unrealized potential of a diverse workforce.
Table of Contents
03:10 … Defining Dyslexia03:59 … Dyslexia and Dysgraphia04:54 … Indicators of Dyslexia06:20 … Carlene’s Motivation10:06 … The Impact of Dyslexia in the Workplace12:07 … Fostering Communication around Dyslexia13:16 … Managing Disclosure14:49 … Ren Love: Projects of the Past17:11 … Leveraging Dyslexic Strengths20:22 … Addressing the Stereotypes22:25 … Strategies to Help Dyslexic Employees24:00 … Inclusive Communication25:44 … Promote Awareness and Educate Team Members27:59 … Performance Evaluations and Performance Metrics30:32 … Get in Touch31:20 … Closing
CARLENE SZOSTAK: I’ve worked with a lot of project managers that have dyslexia, and they are so innovative and bring a unique perspective to the solutions that others don’t even think about. Which is interesting because project management is so rigid. You would think that this would not be a place that a dyslexic person could thrive, but in fact they can.
WENDY GROUNDS: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me are Bill Yates and our sound guy, Danny Brewer. We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories and leadership lessons, and advice from industry experts from all around the world.
BILL YATES: Hey, Wendy, I’ve got a trivia question for you. Try to connect these people. Tell me what they have in common. Let’s go with George Washington, Picasso, Richard Branson, Albert Einstein, Keanu Reeves, and Tom Holland. He’s the Spider-Man.
WENDY GROUNDS: The Spider-Man, yes, I know.
BILL YATES: What do they have in common?
WENDY GROUNDS: They are really varied. I have no idea.
BILL YATES: They all have dyslexia.
WENDY GROUNDS: Oh, my goodness. And they were incredible people, and are incredible people, very creative, and have done amazing things in the world. So, folks, we’re talking dyslexia today.
BILL YATES: Wendy, you remember our conversation that we had on Episode 163 with Hiren Shukla. He’s with EY and leading up a fantastic effort to not just accommodate, but reach out to those who are neurodiverse. To his point, 15 to 20% of the adult population is neurodiverse, and they wanted to tap into those resources, source them, skill them, support them so that they could be contributors to EY. Fantastic program there. What’s interesting is, okay, 20% of the adult population is neurodiverse. 80% of that population is diagnosed with dyslexia.
WENDY GROUNDS: Oh, wow. We have two sisters joining us. One of the ladies is a guest that we’ve had on before. Carlene Szostak joined us a little while ago to talk about negotiation. And you’ve probably heard her name around PMI circles. She’s a seasoned business leader, a consultant, an author, and educator known for her expertise in project management leadership and creating inclusive workplaces that understand and support individuals with dyslexia.
And her sister is Madeline Szostak Hoge. She’s the founder of Belle-Hampton Consulting, which works with family enterprises to optimize effective governance practices and long-term success mapping. Madeline also has valuable experience in facilitating project and project leaders within her role.
She and her two sisters are bringing awareness that one in five people have the gift of dyslexia. And this diagnosis, it was once considered an invisible disability, is now a celebrated attribute in the world of neurodiversity. She understands the challenges of dyslexia due to navigating two of her three sons through the school system with a diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia,
Table of Contents
03:10 … Defining Dyslexia03:59 … Dyslexia and Dysgraphia04:54 … Indicators of Dyslexia06:20 … Carlene’s Motivation10:06 … The Impact of Dyslexia in the Workplace12:07 … Fostering Communication around Dyslexia13:16 … Managing Disclosure14:49 … Ren Love: Projects of the Past17:11 … Leveraging Dyslexic Strengths20:22 … Addressing the Stereotypes22:25 … Strategies to Help Dyslexic Employees24:00 … Inclusive Communication25:44 … Promote Awareness and Educate Team Members27:59 … Performance Evaluations and Performance Metrics30:32 … Get in Touch31:20 … Closing
CARLENE SZOSTAK: I’ve worked with a lot of project managers that have dyslexia, and they are so innovative and bring a unique perspective to the solutions that others don’t even think about. Which is interesting because project management is so rigid. You would think that this would not be a place that a dyslexic person could thrive, but in fact they can.
WENDY GROUNDS: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me are Bill Yates and our sound guy, Danny Brewer. We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories and leadership lessons, and advice from industry experts from all around the world.
BILL YATES: Hey, Wendy, I’ve got a trivia question for you. Try to connect these people. Tell me what they have in common. Let’s go with George Washington, Picasso, Richard Branson, Albert Einstein, Keanu Reeves, and Tom Holland. He’s the Spider-Man.
WENDY GROUNDS: The Spider-Man, yes, I know.
BILL YATES: What do they have in common?
WENDY GROUNDS: They are really varied. I have no idea.
BILL YATES: They all have dyslexia.
WENDY GROUNDS: Oh, my goodness. And they were incredible people, and are incredible people, very creative, and have done amazing things in the world. So, folks, we’re talking dyslexia today.
BILL YATES: Wendy, you remember our conversation that we had on Episode 163 with Hiren Shukla. He’s with EY and leading up a fantastic effort to not just accommodate, but reach out to those who are neurodiverse. To his point, 15 to 20% of the adult population is neurodiverse, and they wanted to tap into those resources, source them, skill them, support them so that they could be contributors to EY. Fantastic program there. What’s interesting is, okay, 20% of the adult population is neurodiverse. 80% of that population is diagnosed with dyslexia.
WENDY GROUNDS: Oh, wow. We have two sisters joining us. One of the ladies is a guest that we’ve had on before. Carlene Szostak joined us a little while ago to talk about negotiation. And you’ve probably heard her name around PMI circles. She’s a seasoned business leader, a consultant, an author, and educator known for her expertise in project management leadership and creating inclusive workplaces that understand and support individuals with dyslexia.
And her sister is Madeline Szostak Hoge. She’s the founder of Belle-Hampton Consulting, which works with family enterprises to optimize effective governance practices and long-term success mapping. Madeline also has valuable experience in facilitating project and project leaders within her role.
She and her two sisters are bringing awareness that one in five people have the gift of dyslexia. And this diagnosis, it was once considered an invisible disability, is now a celebrated attribute in the world of neurodiversity. She understands the challenges of dyslexia due to navigating two of her three sons through the school system with a diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia,
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