Natalie Iacona is just over three months into her new role as the Finance Manager at Ground & Water. In addition to her professional skills, she brings a set of personal qualities that only around one in seven people possess. Natalie is Neurodivergent and while this has its challenges, working within a close-knit supportive environment has enabled her to use the strengths neurodiversity brings to benefit the business, while its approach and affirmation is enabling her to thrive within it.

For those of you who don’t know me: Hi, I’m Natalie and I have diagnosed Combined Type ADHD, identify as Autistic and my mental wellness is subject to a lot of things.

Aside from knowing my debits and credits, having a random love of credit control and dreams of adorning my wellies to get in amongst the diggers at Ground & Water, I knew it was the place for me since my first interview when I virtually met Ground & Water’s HR manager, Penny.

I felt like I could speak freely and be myself. That’s what Neuro-Affirmation is about for me – accepting everyone as they are, and when they have trusted you with a disclosure of neurodivergence by assisting them to overcome the limitations placed upon them through living in a world designed by, and to accommodate, the majority.

Then I met Dipalee and Fran. The feeling of potential for acceptance doubled (or is it tripled?) within me. I just felt their business, under their wings but with responsibility and authority that the role commands, would be right for me.

You see I’ve spent 15 years in Operational Finance and I’m only now able to communicate my true needs and boundaries. There’s only 20 of us here at Ground & Water, so everyone could get to know me, what I’m about, and what I bring. – and I can do that reciprocatively.

I had to prepare a short presentation and spent two hours with the directors (and founders) at my second interview. Then I spent the rest of the day in bed!

I had warned them hiring me comes with a few challenges. I’m time blind for a start, so getting to the office is to be celebrated. The time I arrive though… well you know… it all levels out eventually. Other fun things are that I have a tangent for practically every conversation on the Teams channel. And I need to be reminded to take a lunch break, or I forget to eat…

The same things that got me my job at Ground & Water though, are the reasons I feel like I’m thriving in it… that said, my probation isn’t up until June so please keep an eye on me?!

What I bring to the role

Impulsivity/ Flexibility – Small business is about trial and error. Not being too proud to admit you need to make a change or an adjustment. I have absolutely no interest in ‘red tape’ and this suits, because I need to make sure the business can adapt quickly to new knowledge and circumstances.

Justice Sensitivity – “It’s not fair that people don’t pay us in accordance with our terms,” is a concrete opinion I carry. So, I’m going to make sure I’m effective in terms of credit control. It’s my only way of effecting change over that to make things fairer overall.

ADHD social skills – I can’t force myself to be robotic and overly professional in tone. There’s of course a time and a place but having a Finance Manager who is down to earth and has a sense of humour will be more able to align the team with business needs – this is handy for a myriad of reasons from not just when I’m thinking about cutting the stationary budget. I’ve been at Ground and Water for only three months and one of the Engineers has already nicknamed me ‘Captain’!

Pattern Recognition – I can usually get a feel for what is ‘normal’ very quickly, then any change to this, be it in results, reactions, vibes or otherwise, I can sense rather deeply. I prefer ‘name it’ to ‘tame it’. The sooner you can identify a challenge the easier it will be to deal with.

Sensory Challenges – If something doesn’t feel right, you can bet I’ll be looking for a quick and cost-effective fix, or for the person who can deliver that. No-one needs to be wearing 15 layers in the winter or wants to sit on itchy seats.

Coaching & Mentoring – The most effective leaders I’ve worked with have been coaches and cheerleaders as well as line managers – not even with a formal qualification. It comes naturally to me to coach and support those around me. I know what my life looks like when that’s not happening and it’s not in my recipe for success at all. I Certified as an ADHD Coach through ADHD Works in 2023 – because while I’ve had some amazing people by my side, that’s something I was missing. Now I’m able to offer other people what I needed, and I’m so excited to see where that helps in this business.

What’s next for me…?

More of this really. Settling in, figuring out my needs, allowing myself time to be supported, discovering what support and efficiency I can bring into the team. Oh, and potentially re-engaging with my CIMA Qualifications. But late diagnosed ADHD in Women in Education is a whole other blog post theme.