She speaks of the struggle and hurdles she faced in trying to get herself accepted as a neurodiverse person, with need for certain adjustments to be made to enable her to flourish. Creating a space for personal compassion has helped her understand herself better and making decisions more confidently.
Communicating with clients who 'open up'
Lira outlines several difficult situations she has found herself in during her advice work, which have forced her to step away, "process the emotions" and think compassionately about clients.
For example, she describes a client who shared some very sad personal news with her. Lira describes her initial reaction as shock and sadness, and then an urge to provide her client with health advice, finding ways to help him.
Lira recalls: “I had remember to keep present and keep my focus on the client and remember that he wasn’t asking for advice, for me to fix it”. This impulse to solve the problem and help him with his health news, was “my own reaction pattern of wanting to solve It to make myself feel more comfortable.”
It can be very difficult to hear of difficult and challenging situations and circumstances a client might be in, it is important to be able to process these emotions.
Lira says that after the meeting, she will usually take a step away to process the emotions, and thinking compassionately about her client. She says: “It is a gift that they can share something vulnerable with you; as an adviser, you might be one of the first few people to know.
"I have to remember to keep present and keep my focus on the client and remember that he wasn’t asking for advice, for me to fix it, but that was my own reaction pattern of wanting to solve it to make myself feel more comfortable.
Lira believes firmly that “compassion for your client is also compassion for yourself – it builds your understanding. It helps to accept one’s self – to learn self-acceptance, which can lead to greater acceptance and compassion for your client".
Self-care as a path to success
Timpson has lived experience of autism, and talks often about self care as part of his path to success.
Together with Laura Edmans, the financial inclusion commissioner, Timpson founded the Group for Autism, Insurance and Neurodiversity.
As previously reported by FTAdviser, GAIN is a community of people within the financial services industry with lived experience of neurodiversity.
It has been established by a growing alliance of people and organisations who are committed to seeing the opportunities realised, both for neurodiverse individuals and the financial services sector - particularly insurance.
