This session builds directly on Meetings That Work, taking the core principles of purposeful, well-designed meetings and applying a neuroinclusive, strengths-based lens.

It focuses on how meetings can either drain energy and exclude people — or become spaces where clarity, contribution, and momentum are genuinely shared.

What this session covers

1. Why meetings are hard for many brains (and what helps)

Cognitive overload, social processing, and fatigue
Time blindness and its impact on preparation, pacing, and follow-up
Processing speed differences and decision pressure
The hidden emotional labour of meetings

Participants explore how “standard” meeting norms unintentionally privilege some brains and exhaust others.

2. Structures that reduce cognitive load

Clear purpose, outcomes, and roles
Agenda design that supports preparation and predictability
Chunking, pacing, and energy-aware facilitation
Making pauses, silence, and reflection legitimate

Practical examples show how small structural changes dramatically improve participation.

3. Inclusive tools for collaboration and decision-making

Multiple ways to contribute: spoken, written, visual, asynchronous
Strengths-based idea generation that avoids domination or withdrawal
Feedback tools that reduce defensiveness and overwhelm
Decision-making models that allow processing time

Participants experience tools they can immediately reuse with teams and working groups.

4. Clarity after the meeting

Turning discussion into clear actions without overload
Task ownership, deadlines, and follow-up that support different working styles
Reducing anxiety caused by vague next steps

Interaction style

Low-pressure, opt-in participation
Quiet reflection as well as shared discussion
Practical scenarios drawn from real library meetings
No requirement to disclose diagnoses or personal details

Who this session is for

Library staff at any level
Managers and team leaders
Project leads and facilitators
Anyone who runs, attends, or dreads meetings

Key takeaway

When meetings are designed with neurodivergent strengths in mind, collaboration improves, decisions stick, and momentum replaces burnout.

Join a Live Empower Session