“My supervisor said that my work is excellent,” Ryan said, “but then he says that I need to be a better team player. After only 3 weeks on the job, he was alienating co-workers by questioning assignments, and declaring that certain processes didn’t “make sense.” Otherwise the consequence could be lack of advancement or job loss.ĭifficulty recognizing the difference between task-related and social mistakes was also causing problems for Ryan. She didn’t realize that actions which caused others to feel uncomfortable, or that decreased their productivity, had to be corrected immediately and permanently.

Meghan confused occasional task-related errors (such as making a typo) with unacceptable social behavior. Interrupting your co-workers to discuss your personal problems is not okay at work.” Plus, there are certain expectations about how employees should behave. “Everyone goofs up once in a while,” I agreed, “but you are repeating the same mistake again and again. “I don’t see why people are upset when it only happens every two or three weeks,” Meghan said. Meghan knew that she should not be interrupting, but had let her guard down. After the fourth episode, they complained and the supervisor gave Meghan a written warning. At first, colleagues offered advice or told Meghan they were too busy to talk. However, a few months later, Meghan started interrupting co-workers again. After six weeks, Meghan’s supervisor was so pleased with her progress that Meghan was no longer in danger of losing her job. She disclosed her Asperger’s Syndrome to her supervisor, and explained that she was receiving help to change her behavior. However, Meghan continued to share personal stories.Īfter receiving the two week notice to improve, Meghan became a coaching client. The co-workers explained that they did not want to be interrupted from their work. She annoyed her co-workers by repeatedly asking their advice about her personal problems. Eight months earlier she had been given two weeks to correct disruptive workplace behavior, or lose her job. Meghan was annoyed at what she considered to be an unfair written warning from her supervisor. Asperger’s & NLD Career Letter, June, 2016

Timetrex vs task coach