For some, there are real tensions in developing planning’s core skills.
There is a ton of stuff to read yet doing this quickly with full comprehension takes you time. Being part of a fast-moving discussion troubles you, as formulating your ideas, however genius they are thought of later, seems to take longer than others. And to cap it off organising your time has never been a key strength. But on the upside, you are a visual thinker who can ace lateral thinking. Working your nuts off for it, you find speaking and writing for an audience a joy. Can you still be a complete planner? Yes, but you are a planner with the added bonus of dyslexia.
“For many dyslexia means your spellings are a bit rubbish. But this is a ‘surface symptom’ of a much more complex situation.”
Dyslexia is a neurodevelopment condition, which results in an uneven cognitive profile of contrasting abilities, quite often manifesting in extremes. First highlighted in Europe during the 1880s but for decades thought of as a deficit in education. A medical explanation gained ground in the 1960s but became known as ‘the middle-class disease’ as affluent parents sort a diagnosis to explain the poor performance of their children. For the UK it wasn’t until 1987 that the British Government recognised the condition but it took until 2009 for them to define it.
“‘...the middle-class disease...’”
A tad late to the party but welcome all the same. Britain’s Direct Marketing Association in 2020 issued guidelines to its members about guiding the careers of those with dyslexia. Katherine Kindersley co-author of the report said ‘Dyslexia is a ‘hidden’ disability. It can be hard for managers and colleagues to understand how demanding, time-consuming, and tiring it is for a person to work as expected’ But as the guide sets out these are the employees who will excel in lateral thinking and innovation, have excellent practical skills and entrepreneurial traits.
“‘Dyslexia is a ‘hidden’ disability. It can be hard for managers and colleagues to understand how demanding, time-consuming, and tiring it is for a person to work as expected’”
The combined effects of oddball cognitive abilities and the white, middle class, mean that Britain’s modern advertising industry grew from legions of dyslexics. Most of these people have now gone and the industry is now run with new values. Appraisal metrics that punish the different because their performance is ‘uneven’. ‘They didn’t get through all the background material'...(I sent last night) or '...he didn’t say much during the brainstorm....’ How many brilliant young minds has this happened to while struggling to get through their early years in planning?
For the planning industry to develop we need to be nurturing young minds capable of extraordinary problem-solving abilities. Coupled with a flair for actually explaining their thinking in public. Nature has gifted us a head start in the weirdness that is the dyslexic mind. More fool us if we fail to accommodate the kooky skill sets of such people.
>>>Saw this great Dyslexia PSA from Wendy Eduarte <<
Reading is a cognitive process of decoding symbols into meanings. For a dyslexic person this essential necessity becomes a difficult process to digest, sometimes ending in frustration. This animation touches on the anxiety of growing up with dyslexia. Thank you to Maria Jose Monge for her testimony. Design and Animation by Wendy Eduarte Song by Kosta T - выходной
