Mia
People with ADHD frequently have a strong sense of motivation and can concentrate intensely on tasks motivated by their interests. Because of their resiliency, they often exhibit creativity and the capacity for comprehensive thinking and make excellent leaders. People with ADHD are fantastic assets to any workforce because of these strengths. However, their best performance occurs in settings that appeal to their advantages and cater to potential weaknesses. These difficulties may include a lack of focus, impulsivity, or concentration.
Here are 7 tips for supporting employees with ADHD jobs so they can complete their jobs and feel appreciated.
Plan frequent check-ins
It’s critical to recognise that a coworker with ADHD is wholly committed to completing tasks on schedule. A person with ADHD frequently struggles with the notion of time, which can impair their estimation of how long something will take and can lead them to underestimate the amount of time left before a deadline.
The habit of scheduled check-ins to keep them on track and to hold them accountable will be highly beneficial for those with ADHD jobs. These interpersonal connections are necessary for people to remember a commitment or a small detail of an accident. However, your coworker with ADHD will probably be more effective if a system is in place.
Be understanding and flexible.
There is just one effective technique to assist a coworker or employee who has ADHD. It is founded on trust, confidence, and open-mindedness, requiring time, patience, and sensitivity. First, you must become familiar with them as a person. You must become familiar with, comprehend, and embrace their ADHD characteristics. You must examine their experiences to determine what is effective and ineffective. Additionally, you must be dependable and judgment-free, just like a good friend.
Share tips on how to meet deadlines
If you work with someone with ADHD, you might have observed they have trouble meeting deadlines. To ensure their success, advise them to keep track of project milestones, and due dates on a large whiteboard or calendar hung on a clean wall. Using a visual or aural reminder to check in on milestones and due date progress routinely can also be beneficial. Effectiveness can also be increased by marking milestones and deadlines with a color-coded scheme. Unfortunately, techniques frequently become less effective with use, so if this happens, we recommend they create a new color-coding strategy or relocate the calendar or whiteboard.
Helping them complete tasks in their way
For ADHDers, rewards, and penalties rarely work, but when motivated by our interests and values, we may accomplish amazing things. The immobility associated with ADHD is frequently exacerbated by pressure, a sense of confinement or restraint, or a pessimistic outlook. Give people as much freedom as you can while keeping success in mind.
Encourage attendees to stand up and move around during meetings or use fidget toys if doing so helps them focus. After the meeting, have someone summarise and review the action items. Please understand if there are a few hiccups; it only shows how passionate and interested we are in the subject.
Assign a task partner to assist in completing the work
For individuals with ADHD, getting started on tasks is frequently the most challenging part. They may feel overpowered or enter a state of “hyper-focus” while planning the job, but they will eventually get too mentally worn out to finish it. Working with a work partner or accountability partner can be beneficial. Setting goals together and checking in regularly can give you the accountability you need to stay motivated and on track.
Learn a few techniques to assist them in starting
When you have ADHD, getting started on an activity or endeavour can occasionally be quite challenging. There’s more to it than what would initially appear to be laziness, deliberate procrastination, or a lack of focus, motivation, or interest.
However, there is a lot you can do to assist: Ascertain their understanding of the project, its processes and tasks, its priorities, and its anticipated outputs. Do they want to talk about it?
Please encourage them to: take a break to defuse tension (exercise, water, fresh air); make a mind map rather than stressing over starting with a logical presentation.
Employ an ADHD Coach for assistance
Coaching is the most effective technique to assist an individual with ADHD and improve workplace performance. Goals will be established, and the Coach will work with the employee to increase awareness and create routines or systems to close performance gaps. Additionally, they will learn how to improve their concentration level, pick up new job-specific abilities, and recognise any relevant advantages that could help their Employer.
Having an accountability partner enhances outcomes, solidifies recently acquired abilities, and teaches staff members to speak up for themselves! In addition to improving self-esteem and professional success, seeking and implementing this support increases the likelihood that the employee will remain in that position owing to job satisfaction. A win-win circumstance!
