The Challenge

 

Turning commitment into confident everyday leadership

Telstra is one of Australia's largest telecommunications and technology organisations. Its workforce spans different roles, locations and ways of thinking. Neurodiversity was already recognised within the organisation's diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, yet discovery identified a practical gap between organisational intent and the capability leaders needed in day to day work.

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The issue was not simply awareness. Leaders needed the confidence, language and practical tools to support neurodivergent employees through communication, coaching, performance conversations, workplace adjustments and team dynamics.

 

The baseline

• 87.5% reported low confidence identifying early support needs in performance conversations

• 50% reported low confidence identifying and supporting individual strengths

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Organisational insights also showed that neurodivergent employees experienced less positive outcomes across indicators including belonging, authenticity and confidence in inclusive leadership. This created an employee experience risk and a missed opportunity to harness diverse thinking, capability and innovation.

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What Telstra needed

• A practical program focused on behaviour change, not awareness alone

• A neuroaffirmative and strengths based learning experience

• An accessible model for a geographically dispersed workforce

• Alignment with existing leadership expectations and learning systems

• Resources that would reinforce learning beyond the formal sessions

• A scalable pathway that could grow across business units

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A co-designed solution to Telstra's operating context

Telstra partnered with People Tank and workplace neuroinclusion specialist Aisling Smith to design and deliver the Neuroaffirmative Leadership Program. Aisling brought specialist expertise, lived experience of autism and ADHD, and more than 500 hours of research, design and project development to the initiative.

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Discovery involved Telstra's diversity, equity and inclusion, Human Resources, Workplace Health and Safety, operational and employee representative stakeholders. This work identified capability gaps, systemic barriers and priority moments in the employee experience. The findings shaped both the content and the delivery model.

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Designed to model inclusion

The learning experience used predictable structures and multiple ways to participate, including facilitated discussion, structured reflection, case studies, breakout activities, chat, reactions, self assessment and practical application. Closed captions, transcripts and recorded content supported different learning and communication preferences.

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This mattered because engagement does not look the same for every learner. Listening, reflection and careful processing were treated as meaningful participation, alongside visible discussion and contribution.

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A capability ecosystem, not a one off event

• Virtual instructor led workshops delivered through Microsoft Teams

• Central access to materials through Workday Learning

• Practical leadership tools, reflection activities and action planning

• Communities of Practice for reinforcement and peer learning

• AI assisted role plays to practise workplace conversations

• A Neuroaffirmative Best Practice Guide for leaders and operational teams

 

Implementation and governance

A pilot cohort allowed Telstra and People Tank to test relevance, accessibility and workplace application before broader rollout. Feedback informed refinements to facilitation, interaction design and supporting resources. Close collaboration across learning, diversity and inclusion, People and Culture, Workplace Health and Safety and operational stakeholders supported alignment, adoption and implementation.

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Measurable Impact

Stronger confidence, high engagement and practical behaviour change.

• 2.7 to 4.35 average leader confidence, out of 5

• 4.69/5 participant engagement rating, up to 90 to 100% satisfaction across key measures

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Capability uplift

Post program evaluation recorded a 59% uplift in leader confidence, with average confidence rising from 2.7 to 4.35 out of 5. All respondents indicated confidence in applying the concepts and tools in practice.

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Sustained engagement

Attendance remained stable across the four module journey, with no material drop off reported. Independent evaluation observed strong presence, reengagement after breakout activities and participation through multiple channels. Satisfaction ranged from 90 to 100% across program design, facilitation quality and likelihood to recommend.

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Observable shifts in leadership practice

Participant reflections showed movement from recognising difference to valuing it as a source of capability, from reactive leadership to intentional leadership, and from assumption based communication to greater clarity and structure. Leaders reported stronger use of strengths based approaches, greater curiosity and reflection, and more confidence in offering early support during performance conversations.

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Organisational reach and emerging business value

More than 230 leaders registered interest, exceeding initial cohort capacity and prompting waitlists and plans for further cohorts. This demand demonstrated that neuroaffirmative leadership was seen as relevant to effective leadership, not only as a diversity initiative.

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During the period in which the program and broader neuroinclusive leadership initiatives were implemented, Telstra observed a 38% reduction in costs associated with neurodiversity related health management cases. This is an encouraging organisational indicator. As multiple initiatives were active, it should be interpreted as an association rather than proof that the program alone caused the reduction.

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Why the program worked

• The learning was grounded in Telstra's workplace realities and leadership expectations

• Lived experience and specialist expertise strengthened relevance and authenticity

• The experience itself modelled accessible and neuroaffirmative practice

• Practical tools supported immediate transfer into conversations and team routines

• Reinforcement continued through resources, practice and Communities of Practice

• Evaluation informed ongoing refinement and future cohorts

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What other organisations can learn:

• Start with the leadership moments that most affect employee experience

• Measure confidence and application, not completion alone

• Design participation choices from the outset rather than adding accessibility later

• Pair learning with practical tools and opportunities to rehearse difficult conversations

• Treat neuroinclusion as part of leadership and performance, not a separate compliance topic