Awareness Creates New Conversations

Interview Insight - Nadene Winchester, HR,

Allient New Zealand / Dynamic Controls

When we first began working together, one of the earliest shifts was simply awareness.

People had heard the term dyslexia, but many did not really understand what it meant in practice, particularly within a workplace environment.

The workshops created space for people to reflect on themselves, their colleagues, and the different ways people process information and contribute to problem solving.

What stood out most was the level of personal connection people made with the content. Some participants began recognising traits in themselves for the first time. Others reflected on family members or people they worked with and started to reconsider previous assumptions.

One particularly memorable moment involved a participant who already knew they had ADHD. After the workshop, they shared that the session had prompted them to question whether they may also have dyslexia. It opened a new level of self-awareness that had not existed before.

Importantly, the conversations did not stop when the workshop ended. The discussion continued across teams and leadership, helping build a broader understanding that different thinking styles exist throughout organisations, often hidden in plain sight.

This growing awareness matters because many organisations unknowingly overlook valuable capability.

When people begin to understand neurodiversity differently, they also begin to recognise new perspectives, alternative approaches to problem solving, and hidden innovation potential already present within their teams.

Key insight: Awareness is often the first step to recognising strengths, unlocking potential, and creating more inclusive workplaces.