Adults with Asperger Syndrome often struggle to maintain or even gain employment. Its not that we can't, won't or do not want to work. We struggle with a number of factors from anxiety that may make it difficult for us to leave the house. We may struggle to cope with the aspects of work such as sensory overload, working in groups or my main point of todays post, being socially appropriate.
For most people, work is a social activity in which they also manage to work. Most people it seems would rather have coworkers that are personable and not fully focused on doing the job. With Asperger's our values and morals are held dear to us and we have little interest in chit chat, sadly this doesn't endear us to our colleagues.
During my time at Virgin Active I simply couldn't understand the social interactions between the other gym staff. I didn't want to talk about the junk they considered important. I spent most of my day in horror at their apparent lack of interest in doing the job properly, often cutting corners with members gym programs. It wasn't uncommon to hear of someone giving a member a cardio only program with the excuse that "we'll give you a better program when you've lost some weight." Sadly this was just so that the instructor could spend the time relaxing in the staff room. As an Aspie I couldn't figure this out why someone would have so little pride in their work. I failed to grasp that for most its just a way to pay the bills.
I had the same problem when I worked at Rolls Royce as well, firstly I had no interest in discussing football (they were all football pundits) and secondly they drank on the job which just didn't seem right (it wasn't).
But sometimes my plans fail. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, I’m going to walk you through my most recent parent-teacher conference. Which was a disaster. And while it was a meeting in a second-grade classroom, it could have been a meeting with anyone, anywhere.
In my last actual job (E3 gym in Burton on Trent) I lasted 3 weeks because I failed to tell the difference between social expectations and reality. When the gym manager (he told me he was the owner) asked me what I thought of the gym, he actually wanted complimenting. Sadly having just found out that the two staff that ran his gym were unpaid I hadn't got a great opinion...and I told him. Ooops!!
He also wanted me to dumb down what I taught his members (they wanted me to do the same at Virgin). I needed him to know that I would not waste peoples time and money by just tricking them. Telling him that he's conning people in my eyes is the truth, in his eyes I'm trying to start a fight. So, from wanting to do everything right I've managed to offend the guy whose my boss yet again. I warned him that I'm not good at socializing and that I just want to do the right thing for my clients. Sadly he didn't really understand how to get the best out of me. Give me problems and let me solve them but don't expect me to be good with social niceties as I just do not know is expected.
Am I employable? Sure I am but it takes a very special boss to understand me and allow me to just do my work. Seems odd that some who just wants to work gets overlooked for a social butterfly...
For most people, work is a social activity in which they also manage to work. Most people it seems would rather have coworkers that are personable and not fully focused on doing the job. With Asperger's our values and morals are held dear to us and we have little interest in chit chat, sadly this doesn't endear us to our colleagues.
During my time at Virgin Active I simply couldn't understand the social interactions between the other gym staff. I didn't want to talk about the junk they considered important. I spent most of my day in horror at their apparent lack of interest in doing the job properly, often cutting corners with members gym programs. It wasn't uncommon to hear of someone giving a member a cardio only program with the excuse that "we'll give you a better program when you've lost some weight." Sadly this was just so that the instructor could spend the time relaxing in the staff room. As an Aspie I couldn't figure this out why someone would have so little pride in their work. I failed to grasp that for most its just a way to pay the bills.
I had the same problem when I worked at Rolls Royce as well, firstly I had no interest in discussing football (they were all football pundits) and secondly they drank on the job which just didn't seem right (it wasn't).
But sometimes my plans fail. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, I’m going to walk you through my most recent parent-teacher conference. Which was a disaster. And while it was a meeting in a second-grade classroom, it could have been a meeting with anyone, anywhere.
In my last actual job (E3 gym in Burton on Trent) I lasted 3 weeks because I failed to tell the difference between social expectations and reality. When the gym manager (he told me he was the owner) asked me what I thought of the gym, he actually wanted complimenting. Sadly having just found out that the two staff that ran his gym were unpaid I hadn't got a great opinion...and I told him. Ooops!!
He also wanted me to dumb down what I taught his members (they wanted me to do the same at Virgin). I needed him to know that I would not waste peoples time and money by just tricking them. Telling him that he's conning people in my eyes is the truth, in his eyes I'm trying to start a fight. So, from wanting to do everything right I've managed to offend the guy whose my boss yet again. I warned him that I'm not good at socializing and that I just want to do the right thing for my clients. Sadly he didn't really understand how to get the best out of me. Give me problems and let me solve them but don't expect me to be good with social niceties as I just do not know is expected.
Am I employable? Sure I am but it takes a very special boss to understand me and allow me to just do my work. Seems odd that some who just wants to work gets overlooked for a social butterfly...
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