How to deal with ‘highly sensitive people’ in the workplace #spd

Submitted by Judy Hanning on Sun, 2016-10-23 21:00

Working with a highly-sensitive colleague can be a challenge, but it can also provide a benefit to the whole organization. Highly-sensitive people experience intense emotions and sensory procession sensitivity. Highly-sensitive workers can become overwhelmed or frazzled, especially if they have many tasks to accomplish in a short time. This can create problems in the workplace, especially where coworkers don’t understand the relative strengths and weaknesses associated with being a highly-sensitive person.

Highly sensitive workers may find themselves easily overwhelmed and rattled if they have to do a lot in a short period of time. They don’t like having to do too many things at once.
~ Jennifer Newman

Highly-sensitive individuals can be a great asset to the right organization.

Highly-sensitive workers are a benefit to their organizations because they tend to be the kind of person who wants to dig deep into a task and get it done right. They are sensitive to not only their own needs, but also the needs of others in the workplace. While being tuned in to others’ needs can be advantageous, it can also be exhausting. While highly-sensitive people are often esteemed by their bosses, it also saps their energy, making it necessary for them to build down-time into the workday. Highly-sensitive people should also work on understanding their non-sensitive colleagues as well.

Key Takeaways:

1
Individuals with Sensory Processing Disorder are highly sensitive.
2
Coworkers of highly sensitive employees may have a hard time relating.
3
Highly sensitive individuals have much strengths that can outweigh potential weaknesses in the workplace.
Read the full article here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/jennifer-newman-sensitive-workers-1.3702723