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ADHD In The Workplace
- 2. Kirsten W Milliken, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist and ADHD Coach ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 3. ADHD adults bring many positive attributes to the workplace. They can be highly intelligent, creative, and outside-the-box thinkers. They may also have high energy levels, be very persistent, and take risks. 2 ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 4. ADHD is a real, brain-based, medical disorder Characterized by problems with: • Attention • Distractibility • Impulsivity • Overactivity ―ADHD is more than a disorder of attention, but of the brain’s executive system that grants us our powers of self-regulation, over time, toward goals.‖ ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 5. Neurobiology of ADHD http://www.adhd.org.nz/neuro1.html Risk factors (genetics, head injury, etc) ADHD is NOT caused by diet, hormones, poor parenting, trauma, TV, or vestibular dysfunction. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 6. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 7. They are good starters, but bad finishers – • Trouble sitting and reading. • Tendency to blurt things • Regretful spontaneous purchases, large or small. • Thrill-seeking behavior. • Intense dislike of social situations and ―small talk.‖ ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 8. • Difficulty achieving their potential at work, despite great mental effort • Great difficulty with the overly loose structure • Poor time management • Prone to strong emotional reactions • Low self-esteem • Inconsistent performance ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 9. ADHD adults are: 2/3rds more likely to have been fired from jobs ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 10. ADHD adults are: 3 times more likely to have impulsively quit jobs ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 11. ADHD adults are: 1/3rd more likely to have chronic employment difficulties ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 12. ADHD adults are: 50% more likely to have changed jobs in a given period ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 13. ADHD adults are: Under earning by $11,000 for high school grads and $4,000 for college grads ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 14. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 15. Craig Venter ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 16. Steve Jobs ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 17. Richard Branson ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 18. John Chambers ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 19. Ingvar Kamprad ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 20. David Neeleman ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 21. Paul Orfalea ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 22. Charles Schwab ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 23. Research suggests that the most effective way to optimize your functioning is with CBT and medication Coaching Diet Exercise Sleep ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 24. Short attention span Distractibility Hyperfocusing Hyperactivity Memory Problems Time Management Over-commitment and procrastination ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 25. Difficulty maintaining concentration Often distracted Difficulty tolerating a set routine & constantly seek new stimulations. Bored easily ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 26. A change in schedule A break in the routine or A job where you, as an employee, can do something more stimulating ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 27. An ADHD person’s hypersensitivity to the environment Difficulty staying on task ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 28. Have quiet workspaces by: › Closing your office doors › Moving your offices to low-traffic areas.21 › Moving your inboxes outside of your office › Asking all employees to wear headsets when on the phone ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 29. ADDers get so focused on a task that they become oblivious to everything else ADHD adults will miss meetings, lunch, or other appointments without realizing it until it is too late. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 30. Break tasks into manageable chunks Set an alarm to ring at predetermined times to rouse yourself from the hyper-focused state ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 31. ADHD adults feel trapped, especially if their job is sedentary ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 32. Any activity that gets you moving during the day will be of benefit Take several short breaks throughout the workday. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 33. ADDers can have very inconsistent memory — remembering some things word-for-word, and forgetting others in moments. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 34. Follow up all oral conversations with email so you have a written record Explore memorization techniques and practices, such as carrying a day planner Write everything down Take notes in meetings Visual cues are so important for both children & adults with ADD ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 35. For ADHD adults time management can be a devastating hazard. ADHD employees have difficulty organizing their time, projects and long- term goals Always seem to be running late. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 36. Sustained attempts to arrive early (as opposed to on time) and remain focused in the face of intermediate distractions will help the ADHD adult arrive on time. Use a timer during tasks to become more aware of time passing. Limit the Length of Phone conversations ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 37. Adults will not think about what else is going on when they are asked to take on a new project. Putting things off to the last minute is also common among ADHD adults ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 38. Work with someone else present (body double) Have your employer or work partner ask for progress reports on current projects. Keep a visual calendar or project board to show what you are working on and when each task is due. Use the GTD type programs (get things done) ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 39. Don't let perfectionism thwart your ability to get things done. Ask yourself how you can make it quick and simple. Try bulleting items in memos and calling instead of e-mailing. ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 40. Get it in writing Get a good seat Ask for a review Avoid fatigue Move! Choose your leader carefully ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 41. Sleep Nutrition Fun Finding the Perfect Job for You Creating the Perfect Job for You ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 42. The Pause ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
- 43. Visit www.ahdexecutivecoach.com/services/ resources Books Websites Videos (aka movies) Apps Find a Coach ADHD Executive Coaching - Copyright 2012
Editor's Notes
- JeffIs this me or ADHD?As a business person how can I work best with customers, employees, and peers with ADHD?
- Very often, when there are attempts toaccommodate a specific group of people within an organization, the resultshave a positive impact on the entire workforce. While
- You can get Dx by Physician: Psychiatrist, Pediatrician, Neurologist Psychologist Clinical Social Worker Nurse PractitionerBarkley: In short, the condition is widespread, has diverse manifestations, and clearly can cause work-related problems.
- right frontal lobe is smaller in children with ADHD than non-ADHD children (the right side of the brain is generally considered to be involved in attention processes). This data was supported by the close similarities in symptoms between ADHD and people who have suffered frontal lobe damage or right hemisphere damage through illness or accident. Functional studies have exposed a decrease in the metabolic activity in the right frontal lobe, but also in an area known as the basal ganglia (this region is responsible for regulating movement and is connected with the frontal lobe region).Recently these functional imaging techniques have pointed at 3 areasclosely related to the basal ganglia, believed to be responsible for the symptoms of ADHD:(Click on the name to see where in the brain each region is)the prefrontal cortex (part of the frontal lobe)the caudate nucleus (part of the basal ganglia)the globuspallidus (part of the basal ganglia)Some researchers believe that problems in the circuit between these three regions are the underlying mechanisms that cause ADHD symptoms.The prefrontal cortex is thought to be the brain's "command center" while the other two parts translate the commands into action.ADHD is a complex neurobiological disorderADHD is not a disease or a psychiatric illnessADHD is not a brain injury ADHD is highly hereditary 9% (5 million) of children 9-17 years old have ADHD (CDC 2010)4.4% of adults 18-44 years old experience some symptoms and disabilities from AD/HD (NIMH - AJP, 4/06) if a child has ADHD there is a five-fold increase in the risk to other family members. Exposure to toxic substances and brain injury- while they have an impact on brain, rarely lead to Dx of ADHD
- Play “ADHD in Adults” video here
- Studies show that 5 to 8 percent of children in the United States have ADHD[7] and that up to 60 percent ofthese children will exhibit ADHD symptoms well into adulthood.[8ADHD adults live in constant turmoil because of the way their brains function. They have difficulty organizingwork, sustaining attention, avoiding distractions, and remembering things.[10] However, under certaincircumstances, their brains function quite clearly, which only adds to their confusion “Why does my brain notwork sometimes?” Because of the inconsistency associated with these ADHD impairments, parents, teachers,bosses, and even mental health professionals experience confusion, and may see these contradictory behaviorsas flaws.[11] Brain functioning is not something that can be turned on or off at the whim of an individual,however.When we take tests in school, the instructions often advise us to skip over the questions we do not know theanswer to and return to them later. For ADHD adults, there is no later. If the answer is not there when they readthe question, it may not come to mind later on, and the harder an ADHD person tries, the deeper the answerseems to be buried to the point of being inaccessible.[12] However, as soon as they turn in the test, the answermay well pop into their brain. This difficulty in concentration is not restricted to test taking, but extends to jobdemands, family pressures, and other social expectations. Problems arise because a parent, teacher, associate,or boss misinterprets this lack of concentration as misconduct.[13] Although these difficulties are common amongADHD adults, it is rare that any one individual will display all of them.[14]
- 4.4 % of American adults have ADHD. That translates into 8 million adults – 1 in 20 adults in the U.S., and 2 to 3 million children. Sadly, only 15% of adults have been formally diagnosed and treated. That means 85% of the adults with ADHD are unaware of their ADHD, undiagnosed, and untreated.
- Work more or less………..
- Work more or less………..
- Work more or less………..
- Work more or less………..
- Work more or less………..
- Play “Difference Diagnosis Makes” video here
- In May 2010, Craig Venter held a press conference to announce that he had created the first synthetic life form. “This is the first self-replicating species on earth whose parent is a computer,”….. he has been attracted to challenges and risk. Even as a boy, he loved big projects, like building an electronic scoreboard for his junior high baseball field or constructing an eight-foot plywood hydroplane so that he could blast around a nearby harbor……But Venter was also a terrible student, a fact he now knows may be partly due to a gene he has, one typical of people with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)……. After Vietnam, he enrolled in a junior college and then transferred to UC San Diego, partly because the recently formed campus had a good reputation for science and partly because it offered good venues for water sports. “Being able to enjoy science along with sailing, swimming and surfing is a good way to keep your brain active,” Venter says.
- Ingvar Kamprad – Founder of IKEA
- David Neeleman founder and CEO of Jet Blue Airways.
- Paul Orfalea the founder and chairperson of Kinko’s.
- Charles Schwab the founder, chairperson, and CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation, the largest brokerage firm in the U.S.
- Time management. “ADHD is the consummate time managementdisorder,” notes Barkley. Being easily distracted can naturally interfere withthe timely completion of tasks. More frequents check-ins from managers, orcomputer-based reminders, for example, can help keep projects moving at thedesired pace. “They frequently underestimate how long a project will take, orhow much time they have until a deadline,” Barkley says. “Time is theirenemy, so anything that helps them manage it can be useful.”Office configurations. Because of the ease of distractability, open officearrangements with few walls or dividers to filter out conversations and othernoises may lead to problems. To the extent practical within your ownparticular business setting, more privacy and quiet can be helpful to keepsomeone with ADD/ADHD on task.Reward systems. Since attention can all too easily wander – the essence ofthe condition – a manager may want to use rewards, either tangible or simplyverbal, more frequently than normal. “Scheduling frequent small rewardsthroughout longer term projects,” says Barkley, “can help them staymotivated.”Team dynamics. Effective collaboration is always a valued attribute in thebusiness world. “While their liveliness, talkativeness and propensity forsocializing can make them fun to be around,” says Barkley, “employees withADHD can also talk too much, get off task verbally, are less self-aware of theirsocial conduct and sometimes show less regard for the feelings of others.”Implications for management? Though there are of course exceptions,employees with ADD/ADHD tend to be more effective in individualcontributor rather than team leader roles. It also makes good sense for amanager to give especially careful thought to a team’s composition, and to becognizant of the ongoing interactions.Closer supervision. One of the broader implications for managers is theneed for somewhat closer supervision than they might normally provide… tohelp ensure projects stay on the right course and the needed results areachieved. To the extent possible, managers will also want to be thoughtfulabout how assignments are made, bearing in mind the particular strengthsand weaknesses of the individual.
- The suggestions below are also useful for employees who exhibit the symptoms of ADHD without necessarilyhaving the diagnosis. For example, many workers have difficulty with time management, regardless of whether or not ADHD is a factor. The recommendations for dealing with time management issues will benefit those workers,as well. It is imperative that managers do not attempt to diagnose a worker as having ADHD, but they can makesuggestions to assist the worker in overcoming job deficiencies as they arise, as they would any other employee
- The ADHD person can concentrate for sustained periods, for example, when the project is new, highly stimulating, interesting, or frightening.[17] However, ADHD adults may be quite interested in something and still not be able to concentrate.bored easily especially if the work is repetitive and routine even if the work was initially exciting to them. “Repetitive” does notmean doing the exact same thing every time; however, it is often more complex than that.
- will keep these employees on top of their games.
- Most people canblock out the environmental noises that surround us, such as traffic, the whir of a fan, or someone sitting near usbreathing noisily. ADHD adults are more sensitive to these noises and other stimuli in the environment. Unlikeothers, ADHD adults are not always able to block out external distractions, even when reading a book forpleasure.[20] While reading, the minds of ADHD adults may drift off to some totally unrelated topic, with nological explanation for the transition.
- Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge that it is impossible to eliminate externaldistractions altogether………many of the distractions are thoughts that are running through their own head.
- When Hyperfocused, ADDers lose sense of time passing. This challenge responds well to Time mangement/awareness strategies.
- The alarm must be outside of arm’s reach and must be loud enough to demand the employee’s attention, or they may ignore it.
- Sometimes, just getting up to get a cup of coffee or make copies can constituteenough movement to help the hyperactive adult cope with a sedentary jobmployee’s performance.
- Sometimes, it appears that these memory problems are associated with lack of motivation or irresponsibility. At other times, it might appear that the worker can remember information without any problem.
- Unfortunately, however, carrying a day planner does not guarantee that ADHD adults will remember to read their notes. . I'd suggest he look into using a large whiteboard to- Timewise catalog has many to choose from.
- Even when they plan to arrive early, unforeseenevents like a ringing phone or an interruption by a colleague while they arewalking out the door can contribute to habitual lateness.
- It is better to arrive early for an appointment, and havesome work to do while you wait, than try to complete the work before leaving and end upBeing late.Limit the Length of Phone ConversationsTime flies when we're on the phone. A call that should take five minutes can easily turn into 45. Preface each call with a time limit by starting out with, "Hi, Thomas. I have only five minutes, but I wanted to give you a quick call to let you know..." The person on the other end will most likely respond appropriately by making their comments short and to the point.
- Time-management-related problems for ADHD adults’Therefore, over-commitment to the point where they cannot accomplish anything productively is a risk. . In reality, however, they intend to complete the project on time and may start working on it many times. Consequently, interruptions and other commitments cancause the worker to delay completion of the project. Although these are valid problems for non-ADHD workers, as well, for the ADHD worker they are even more prevalent and problematic.
- ask for an advance copy of the relevant materials (meeting agenda, lecture outline, and so on). Take the materials with you to the gathering. Use them to guide your active listening and — just as important — your note-taking. Writing as you listen will help you stay focused on what the speaker is saying.it easier to be attentive if you sit up front, facing the speaker. Arriving early, get a seat far away from distractions, change your seat after each break. That will give you a newperspective and allow you to refocus your attention. If you will need to work independently for some time, ask ahead of time for permission to take occasional breaks and, possibly, to change your seat. Standing up and walking around will help you stay fresh and focused.after the meeting, ask your co-worker for a brief review of the main points. Explain what you think the points were, and see if he or she concurs. This is a good time to fill in anydetails you might have missed when your focus flagged. It's also a good time to find out exactly what is expected of you next—ass ignments to turn in, succeeding steps on a project, and so on. Don’t forget to confirm deadlines.4. Avoid fatigueFeel the urge to fidget? Go right ahead. You may not be able to choose your supervisor at work. However, you can ask for accommodations that allow you to function at your best and get the job done. Getting deadlines in writing, working in a quiet spot, and scheduling frequent short meetings to confirm that you are on track will help enormously.
- Eliminate yeast , food sensitivities, heavy metals, processed foodsExercise, yoga, emphasis on having balance in your life