Cherish Clinic is undergoing some major expansions right now to incorporate new therapists and as well as a couple of backend staff. Having a business is like having a new baby and, as a neurodiverse owner with neurodiverse employees serving primarily neurodiverse clients, we have to create it as we go. Sometimes it is easy for us to feel like bad business owners and bad employees because we are not doing things in the same way and as smoothly as the perfect imaginary neurotypical person we compare ourselves to.
A few days ago, my bookkeeper (this is shared with their consent) wanted to quit their job because the job was too overwhelming for their executive functioning. After exploration and discussion, we found out that the task was actually outside their job description and required executive decision (me). So new procedure was created, when there was a task where there was no precedent procedure, the owner will process that and make that decision, so my bookkeeper can just focus on…. bookkeeping!
Initially, they thought they failed me and themselves for not able to fulfill our vision of creating a neurodiverse affirmative business but I presumed that they are competent and that it is the system that needed fixing, and it was! If my employee was neurotypical, they may have enabled my oversight leaving worser long-term implications. I am glad to find out about the systemic problem early and set up healthier work boundaries for my employees.
I internally blamed myself for my oversight as well. “What kind of owner leave their employee to suffer like that?” “I am not a good enough” or “I am not competent business owner.“ And I have to constantly remind myself that I am creating something new because the old wheel hasn’t worked for me or other ND folks. I presume myself as competent and the only way I are going to get better and create my dream is from the mistakes like this one. At least, my employe thought I was approachable and nonjudgemental enough to let me know what was on their mind.
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