Collaborating with Cross-Disciplinary Teams

Celebrating Neurodiversity week is over but the work to create more a neuroinclusive society has not. 10 ways to improve communication in neuroinclusive workplaces Creating psychologically safe spaces for everyone starts with how we communicate. Here's a reminder: 1️⃣ Be clear and concise 2️⃣ Avoid jargon and idioms and acronyms 3️⃣ Share agendas and actions in advance - be clear what roles people will have if they need to prepare 4️⃣ Have multiple formats of information where possible (written, visual, verbal) 5️⃣ Allow processing time 6️⃣ Check understanding—don’t assume 7️⃣ Respect different communication preferences and consider your own 8️⃣ Use plain fonts and clear layouts 9️⃣ Encourage questions without judgment - problem solve together 🔟 Recognise non-verbal communication may vary across cultures, countries, and neurodiverse ways of communicating. Neuroinclusive communication benefits everyone #Neurodiversity #Inclusion #WorkplaceWellbeing #Neuroinclusion #Communication #Equity

By the time graduate students land in Keivan Stassun's astrophysics lab at Vanderbilt, they’ve already proven their brilliance. But brilliance alone doesn’t guarantee success if the workplace culture relies on unspoken norms and social dynamics to get ahead. When his son was diagnosed with autism, Stassun began rethinking how he managed his lab. He started intentionally recruiting autistic students and quickly realized that the way the team communicated had to change. Side chatter, innuendo, and “nudge nudge, wink wink” banter—second nature to some—were barriers to others. So he shifted the norms: clear agendas, precise communication, and intentional inclusion. The result? A lab where autistic and neurotypical colleagues alike found more focus, better collaboration, and more effective meetings. As Stassun puts it, inclusive excellence isn’t about lowering standards, it’s about reaching true excellence by drawing on the full diversity of the human mind. In my latest newsletter, I share what leaders everywhere can learn from Stassun’s model. Because let’s face it: most of us don’t actually say what we mean at work. And when you add in different neurotypes and personalities, communication gets really messy. But leaders can set the tone for clarity, inclusivity, and excellence. #Neurodivergentleadership #AnxiousAchiever #Neurodivergence #Autismatwork

🌍 The Real Reason Your Team Isn’t Connecting Might Surprise You 🛑 You’ve built a diverse team. Communication seems clear. Everyone speaks the same language. So why do projects stall? Why does feedback get misread? Why do brilliant employees feel misunderstood? Because what you’re facing isn’t a language barrier—it’s a cultural one. 🤔 Here’s what that looks like in real life: ✳ A team member from a collectivist culture avoids challenging a group decision, even when they disagree. ✳ A manager from a direct feedback culture gets labeled “harsh.” ✳ An employee doesn’t speak up in meetings—not because they don’t have ideas, but because interrupting feels disrespectful in their culture. These aren't missteps—they’re misalignments. And they can quietly erode trust, engagement, and performance. 💡 So how do we fix it? Here are 5 ways to reduce misalignments and build stronger, more inclusive teams: 🧭 1. Train for Cultural Competence—Not Just Diversity Don’t stop at DEI 101. Offer immersive training that helps employees navigate different communication styles, values, and worldviews. 🗣 2. Clarify Team Norms Make the invisible visible. Talk about what “respectful communication” means across cultures. Set expectations before conflicts arise. 🛎 3. Slow Down Decision-Making Fast-paced environments often leave diverse perspectives unheard. Build in time to reflect, revisit, and invite global input. 🌍 4. Encourage Curiosity Over Judgment When something feels off, ask: Could this be cultural? This small shift creates room for empathy and deeper connection. 📊 5. Audit Systems for Cultural Bias Review how you evaluate performance, give feedback, and promote leadership. Are your systems inclusive, or unintentionally favoring one style? 🎯 Cultural differences shouldn’t divide your team—they should drive your innovation. If you’re ready to create a workplace where every team member can thrive, I’d love to help. 📅 Book a complimentary call and let’s talk about what cultural competence could look like in your organization. The link is on my profile. Because when we understand each other, we work better together. 💬 #CulturalCompetence #GlobalTeams #InclusiveLeadership #CrossCulturalCommunication #DEIStrategy

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: (𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀) Ever notice how Quality, R&D, Regulatory and Marketing teams seem to speak completely different languages? This disconnect isn't just frustrating, it's costing your medical device company time, money, and potentially regulatory approval In my personal experience, I've seen how departmental friction can derail even the most promising innovations 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀 👉 Delayed submissions and market entry 👉 Regulatory surprises late in development 👉 Documentation rework and compliance gaps 👉 Increased development costs 👉 Team frustration and burnout Here's how to create seamless collaboration across your MedTech organization: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Create a development council with representatives from Quality, Regulatory, R&D, Manufacturing, Marketing and Clinical. Meet bi-weekly with a structured agenda (top tip keep the minutes to use towards management reviews). 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: A Class II device manufacturer implemented this model and reduced their development timeline by 30%, if not more, by identifying regulatory concerns during concept phase rather than pre-submission. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲-𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 Don't move to the next development phase without formal sign-off from every department. This prevents costly backtracking 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: During a stage-gate review (Design Review), a clinical specialist identified that the intended claims presented by the regulatory team would require further clinical data. By catching this early, the company adjusted their development plan rather than facing a surprise 6-month+ delay come submission time 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 Develop a glossary of terms that bridges departmental jargon. This prevents miscommunication that leads to rework. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: One client I worked with created a “MedTech Translation Guide” with input from each department. Not only did it reduce confusion, but it also built mutual respect engineers finally understood what the regulatory team meant by “intended use” and marketers stopped using terms that could trigger a knock on the door by Competent Authorities 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲? When this is done right, it accelerates development, strengthens compliance, and builds a more engaged team ✅ Faster to market ✅ Fewer compliance surprises ✅ Less internal friction If you're building your next-gen device and struggling with internal disconnects, it’s time to rethink how your teams work 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 💬 I'd love to hear: How does your team keep cross-functional collaboration on track? #MedTech  #MedicalDevice #ProductDevelopment

Communication is the glue that holds teams together, but even the smallest cracks can lead to major fractures if left unaddressed. Imagine trying to build a strong, sturdy wall without noticing the hairline cracks forming—those tiny issues eventually compromise the whole structure. The same is true for communication within teams. Here’s why communication cracks happen and how to address them before they break the team dynamic: 1️⃣ Clarity Over Assumptions One of the biggest causes of communication cracks is the assumption that everyone is on the same page. Leaders often believe their instructions are clear, while team members interpret them differently. The solution? Prioritize clarity. Spell things out, confirm understanding, ask for play backs from your audience and encourage team members to ask questions. It’s far better to over-communicate to get it wrong. 2️⃣ Build a Culture of Openness Fear of speaking up is a silent communication killer. If team members feel like they can’t ask questions, provide feedback, or share concerns, cracks start forming. Leaders must actively create an environment where openness is celebrated. Foster trust by inviting feedback regularly and responding with empathy and action. 3️⃣ Don’t Let Digital Overwhelm Human Connections In today’s workplace, we rely heavily on emails, chats, and virtual meetings. While these tools are convenient, they can dilute the human element of communication. Misinterpretations happen, and nuances are lost. Incorporate more face-to-face (or virtual face-to-face) conversations for clarity and connection. Sometimes, a 5-minute chat can fix what a dozen emails cannot. 4️⃣ Active Listening is Non-Negotiable Effective communication isn’t just about talking—it’s about listening. Leaders and team members alike need to practice active listening. This means not just hearing words but understanding intent, emotions, and the bigger picture. Active listening makes people feel valued and prevents misunderstandings from growing into bigger issues. 5️⃣ Address Conflict Early Unresolved conflict is one of the most visible cracks in team communication. When issues are ignored, they fester and grow, creating divides that are hard to repair. Address conflicts as soon as they arise. Create an environment where disagreements can be discussed constructively and lead to solutions, not resentment. Take Action Before It’s Too Late Communication cracks, if ignored, don’t just affect a single project or conversation—they compromise trust, productivity, and the overall health of the team. Proactively addressing them ensures your team remains aligned, resilient, and effective. What’s one step you’ll take this week to strengthen communication within your team? Let’s start the conversation below. 👇 #CommunicationMatters #TeamSuccess #ConflictResolution #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #RuthOnLeadership

Female economists are twice as likely to be denied tenure as their male colleagues. Yet it's not a productivity gap—before tenure review, men and women publish at similar rates in journals of comparable quality. One explanation lies in how collaborative work is recognized. When economists publish solo, women and men have identical tenure success rates. Every solo-authored paper raises the probability of tenure by about 8–9% for both. But once coauthored papers enter the picture, the two paths diverge. Men receive just as much credit for collaborative research as for solo work. Women, however, receive less than half as much credit when collaborating with other women. When women collaborate with male economists, those publications provide virtually no measurable boost to their tenure prospects. This is one of the examples we explore in The Science of Science: credit is not a direct readout of contribution. It's a judgment the scientific community makes, shaped by bias, familiarity, and status—and it can diverge sharply from who actually did the work. So what can we do? One approach is to make contributions explicit. Sociologists typically order authors by contribution rather than alphabetically. Tenure rates in sociology are comparable across genders, suggesting that making contributions explicit leaves less room for assumptions to shape evaluation. Another is to make credit allocation measurable. New computational tools can estimate how the scientific community attributes credit among collaborators. These tools don't completely eliminate bias, but they make an otherwise invisible process visible—helping us understand, and eventually improve, how recognition is distributed. As science becomes increasingly collaborative, improving how we allocate credit may be just as important as improving how we produce knowledge.

Avoiding labeling or placing people in stereotypical boxes based on their differences is difficult. Most likely the majority of us have been guilty of doing this at some time. As leaders, however, we need to be extra conscious and vigilant to "Avoid Labels." During this month of Mental Health Awareness, we have been focusing on embracing Neurodiversity and looking at a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are all human, which means we are all prone to make mistakes, but ignorance of a situation is never an acceptable excuse, therefore we are urging leaders to be cautious about allowing conversations that pigeonhole their neurodivergent team members, as it can undermine their contributions and potential. Here are several ways this can be avoided. ❇ Encourage Individuality: Recognize and celebrate the unique strengths of each team member, focusing on individual skills rather than generalized labels. ✴ Foster an Inclusive Environment: Create a supportive atmosphere where all employees feel valued and understood, promoting open communication and understanding. ✳ Provide Tailored Support: Offer personalized accommodations and resources that address specific needs without making assumptions based on labels. ✴ Avoid Stereotypes: Steer clear of common stereotypes associated with neurodivergent conditions, ensuring that biases do not influence how tasks and responsibilities are assigned. ❇ Promote Equal Opportunities: Ensure that all team members have equal access to professional development and career advancement opportunities, regardless of their neurodiversity. ✴ Educate and Train: Provide training for all staff on neurodiversity, helping to build awareness and empathy, and reducing stigma and misunderstanding. By being intentional and choosing your actions carefully, leaders can foster a culture of inclusivity. We can support neurodivergent team members to thrive and contribute their best work, ultimately benefiting the entire organization.

We say we want more engagement. But do we support the people who actually do it? In our whitepaper, we profile the academic collaborator: often someone with industry exposure, motivated by impact and inspiration, willing to navigate ambiguity to turn ideas into outcomes. And the business collaborator: an innovation manager or leader who sees universities as strategic partners for capability, foresight, and talent. Here’s a people-first checklist you can implement this semester: Mobility as habit: fund short industry stints for academics and bring practitioners on campus as fellows. Communities of practice: peer groups for engaged academics to share playbooks and mentor early-career researchers. Broker capacity: boundary spanners embedded in faculties, not only central offices. Friction busters: standard IP for exploratory work, 2-page project MOUs, response SLAs. Recognition: put engagement in promotion criteria; celebrate stories of impact and learning. Inclusion: targeted support for underrepresented groups in collaboration to widen the pipeline of champions. This isn’t about adding more initiatives. It’s about rebalancing—from structures alone to structures that enable people. https://lnkd.in/e3PFScaN #Engagement #TechTransfer #ResearchStrategy #Talent #Partnerships

Online meetings are where ideas are shared, decisions are made, and teams connect, right? But without accessibility, too many never do. The U.S. has the highest average of remote work-from-home days per week (U.S. Career Institute). That means a huge portion of collaboration happens online, and if meetings aren't accessible, talented employees get left out. Research from a national survey sponsored by companies that really care about disability inclusion (like Johnson & Johnson, PwC, KPMG, Lime Connect, McKesson, and Unilever) shows that 30% of white-collar, college-educated employees have a disability. And 62% of them are invisible. That means the colleague who isn't speaking up might not be disengaged. They might be navigating a barrier you can easily remove. Here are 5 simple ways to make your next meeting work for everyone and boost collaboration in the process: 1️⃣ Turn on captions by default in Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet 2️⃣ Describe visuals out loud when sharing your screen or presenting slides 3️⃣ Share materials in advance in accessible formats so participants can prepare 4️⃣ Monitor multiple engagement channels (voice, chat, polls), so everyone has a way to contribute 5️⃣ Ask inclusive questions like "Is everyone able to access the content clearly?" I've noticed it firsthand, and clients tell me the same - small changes like these make it easier for everyone to speak up and share their best ideas. Any other practices you've found helpful for making meetings more accessible? Share in the comments ⬇️ #InclusiveWorkplaces #DisabilityInclusion #AccessibilityTips #InclusiveLeadership

“Unusually inclusive.” That was the feedback I received after a recent workshop, and it stuck with me. Inclusion isn’t a feature you toggle on once the Zoom starts. It starts way earlier, and it continues throughout. ✨ Here are 10 ways to build accessibility and inclusion into your workshop from start to finish. Feel free to borrow or steal these tips for your own inclusive practice: - In your invitation, share what accessibility measures are already in place (captions, described visuals, optional participation), and invite requests. - Make participation optional: cameras off, silent presence, skipping breakout rooms… all totally fine. No need to explain. - Set expectations early: What’s the session for? Who is it for? How long will it last? Will there be breaks? This helps reduce anxiety and supports pacing. - Turn on captions and explain how to activate, resize, or hide them. Don’t assume people know. - Describe visuals out loud, especially charts, images, or anything not captured by captions. - Use multiple ways to participate: chat, voice, emoji reactions, or just listening. All are valid. - Repeat key info in the chat: it helps those who joined late, process visually, or use screen readers. - Offer a silent breakout room, for those who need company but not conversation. - Explain how to get help, who to message if something isn’t working, and who the host is. - Close with kindness: summarise next steps (if any), thank people for showing up however they could, and keep the door open for feedback. 👉 These are not advanced features. They’re basic ways to acknowledge that access needs vary, and that everyone deserves to feel safe and seen. I bundled these tips into a visual checklist one year ago, and they are still valid: https://lnkd.in/djYvcKV2 #Facilitation #inclusivefacilitation #accessibility