ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It is one of the most common mental disorders in children, which often endures in adulthood. ADHD is associated with impairment in the executive functions: attention, memory, impulse control, motivation, and organization.
Estimates are that about 5% percent of adults have ADHD, although fewer than half of them have formal diagnoses from childhood. If you suspect you might have ADHD, there are quick assessments you can take online before speaking with your doctor.
ADHD shows up differently for different individuals, but it has two main pillars. Those with inattentive ADHD might experience difficulty focusing and listening and an inability to plan and prioritize. Those with hyperactive ADHD might have excess nervous energy, impulsivity, and a quick temper. You need to understand your own form of the disorder.
If you have ADHD, you’ve probably struggled to conform to rigid systems at school and work where people expect you to sit still for long periods, take responsibility for complex assignments, and work in teams where other people are unpredictable and frustrating. It’s not surprising if you’re feeling disheartened by the world’s unsympathetic and misguided response to you.
What can you do if you have ADHD in the workplace? Let’s talk about your responsibility to set yourself up for success.
1. Understand What Your Workplace Owes You
First, understand what your workplace owes you… In the US, ADHD is protected under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To qualify for protection by those laws, you must disclose your disability to your employer. That’s a choice that you need to weigh. While sharing your condition will unlock accommodations, it can also bias how your employer views you and your potential. You might want to try managing your environment on your own before bringing your diagnosis into the workplace. Again, it’s a choice with pros and cons.
Now, let’s consider your responsibility to set yourself up for success. After all, it’s a job, and you’re paid to get the job done. So, how do you make that happen?
2. Manage Your Environment
First, understand the environment best suited to your strengths, which will help you produce and prosper. If you have inattentive ADHD, the setup of your workspace is critical. If you struggle with planning, you might do better with structured or repetitive tasks or require tools to organize your day. Know your triggers and your tricks. Picking the right place to work can make your neurodivergent brain a superpower. Finding yourself in an unsuitable environment might make it feel more like it’s kryptonite.
3. Communicate Your Needs
Next, communicate with your manager and your colleagues about what works for you. Frame the idea positively: ”I find I work best when… “ or “If we have a task like this, could you please?” One client told me that his worst-case scenario is when a teammate approaches him for a work discussion in the hallway. He explained that the distractions make it really hard for him to listen, and when he doesn’t have his notebook with him, he’s likely to forget what he agreed to do. We agreed that when this happens, he’d ask if they could step into a meeting room with a whiteboard or return to his desk, where he had a place to capture notes.
Your manager and your colleagues live in their own heads and realities. They don’t know how the environment impacts you until you tell them. Keep it constructive and ask for what you need to be successful.
4. Your ADHD Is Your Responsibility
While asking your manager and colleagues to support you is reasonable and appropriate, only you can be accountable for your behavior, choices, and outputs. It’s your responsibility to accomplish what you commit to, and if ADHD makes that challenging, you need to find strategies to ensure you’re set up for success rather than waiting to stumble.
Don’t commit to something you know you can’t deliver. If you are committing to something, specify what you need if you’re going to deliver. Is there a concrete plan to help you stay on track? Who’s managing the project, and do they know you work better with a series of small steps? Ask for the help and support you need. And schedule check-ins along the way so you can raise any concerns early while there’s still time to remedy them.
5. Don’t Let Your ADHD Impact Others
Finally, do your best to ensure your challenges don’t become a teammate’s problem. If you aren’t proactively managing your attention and planning, you might fail to deliver something that puts your colleague in a pinch. That’s ok occasionally, but if it becomes a habit, you’ll start to experience friction.
If you become impatient, frustrated, or angry easily, try to understand your triggers and negotiate with your team about how you might reduce them. If there are people who get you better than others do, they might be a helpful buffer.
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If you have ADHD, you deserve to have a chance to contribute and have work be a positive part of your life like everyone else. To make that more likely, learn what environment helps make that happen, how to ask for what you need, and how to be proactive to minimize the impact of your ADHD.