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Many might agree that numbers tell a story. Often there is a different story even behind each data point. While differences can cause mixed feelings, outliers often unveil more about the data set than the analysis itself. What outliers management can teach about diversity and inclusion?<\/p>\n
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\u201cNeurodiversity\u201d is a paradigm that classifies differences in the human brain influencing\u00a0one’s\u00a0cognitive ability,\u00a0such as; reading, writing, learning,\u00a0attention span, etc., as a social\u00a0state rather than as pathology. Dyslexia, attention disorders, but also autism, and others are\u00a0included. Even without considering our diversity and inclusion\u00a0awareness, the size of the neurodiverse population suggests that neurodiversity is touching our lives in one way or other. Looking at the statistics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in the US itself\u00a0puts the case in point.\u00a0In 2020, one in 54 children\u00a0was\u00a0diagnosed with ASD (CDC, 2020). This number is a close representation of the adult population with ASD,\u00a0as only about 9% of children who are diagnosed with ASD in early childhood may not meet diagnostic criteria for ASD by young adulthood (CDC, 2020). Adding other variables such as dyslexia challenges the shape of the Bell Curve and perhaps also our view on what is or\u00a0would\u00a0be considered normal in our lives.<\/p>\n
Diversity comes in all shapes and forms. While performance is relative to the environment,\u00a0not only the outliers scoring low on a performance scale need to be reviewed and managed but also high-performers require attention. Research shows that a high-performer can become a target to exclusion\u00a0or\u00a0mobbing across more organizational\u00a0levels than a low performer would do. Furthermore, performance outliers, whether with low or high scores, can cause resentment in a team. That creates\u00a0yet another segment of a spectrum that requires\u00a0management when striving for the successful inclusion of diversity.<\/p>\n
Whether it is the deadlines for research submission or outcomes unveiling what is not desired, many occasions challenge human\u2019s ability to resist bias, stress, or even\u00a0one’s\u00a0ego. Outliers tend to disrupt our expectations. Part of the training of a researcher is the compliance of the ethics of conduct and truthful reporting of findings. While there are plenty of documents that describe what is considered ethical, the responsibility lies with those who judge the outliers.<\/p>\n