To All Managers: How Does ADD Affect Your Workplace?

Tent caterpillars create a cocoon for an entire colony. Within one colony there are two types of caterpillar. One type, pioneers, weave long threads forming the skeleton of the tent. The others, the workers, weave cross threads filling in the structure. If there are too many pioneers, the tent is too big and collapses. If there are not enough pioneers, the tent is too dense and the colony suffocates. Viva la difference.

Within the colony of human beings we can find similar differences. Some are explorers, entrepreneurs extending the boundaries of our environment in art, science, or business. The rest fill in the details as accountants or managers.

As a manager you know that creativity is the quality which enables your company to expand and improve products, services and processes. The best salespeople, strategic planners and inventors are creative people who generate a steady flow of ideas. However, creativity may come with other features which are not so desirable such as impulsiveness, lack of organization of ideas, paper, and time, and social problems in communication and relationships at work or at home.

SAM WAS THE BEST SALESMAN the company had ever seen, but his boss was about to fire him because he couldn't get the paper work done.

MARY WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIC PLANNER at work, but at home she couldn't clear up after dinner, her husband had to teach her how to put things away.

ANDREW WAS AN EXPERT IN HIS FIELD, but in his head he felt like a fraud. The dissonance between his expert status and his mental image of himself led him to a severe depression and two years of lost work.

OR MAYBE YOU HAD TO FIRE MICHEL. He was just too argumentative. He was always antagonizing someone. No one would work with him in a team. Too bad because his work was excellent.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)* is a neurological difference in the brain which causes difficulties with the executive functions of planning, prioritizing, decision making, organizing, time management and more. It touches from 3 to 5% of the adult population ( Kevin Murphy, associate professor of psychiatry and chief adult :ADHD clinician at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester) and appears frequently in the fields where creativity is required. To state this another way: the positive asset of creativity and the negative problems are two sides of one coin.

We all feel disorganized, forgetful, or at odds with the world some of the time, but for those affected, ADD is a quality of life issue which is of long duration. One of their most common complaints is a feeling of being out of joint with their surroundings. They may feel frustrated by their own failure to achieve and deceived because they can't make effective use of their potential. They have great difficulty harnessing their many ideas and bringing them to completion.

From your point of view, as a manager, ADD can be a question of lost productivity and accidents. You probably hired them because they were passionate, intelligent, full of ideas, and had great energy (all typical qualities of ADD), but once on the job the difficulties appear. Now you may consider them lazy or irresponsible due to frequent absenteeism, lateness, below average productivity, missed deadlines, or senseless conflict.

Or you may see another picture, a person whose work is excellent, but is working exceptionally long hours for the work done, seems overly sensitive to comments, may be having difficulty in his private life due to poorly managed finances or friction with his spouse, or appears to have a problem with alcohol or even drugs.

The first step for such a person (and it may be you, the manager) is a medical diagnoses by a doctor who is knowledgeable in ADD. If the diagnoses is for ADD, the doctor will prescribe one of several medications. Medication helps the brain to function effectively, but it may not be sufficient. The second step is to seek the help of a coach trained in ADD who can help him see where and how ADD is affecting his life and guide him in developing strategies for managing the issues and using his strengths.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS for dealing with employees who may be affected by ADD.

*--Recognize that the problem is not willful disobedience or moral failure but of neurological origin.

*--Provide lots of positive encouragement and guidance; negative criticism they give themselves.

*--Help them adapt their working environment to their personal needs.

*--Provide support systems to help with the paper work and other detail tasks which are stifling for people with ADD.

*--Provide a coach knowledgeable in the problems of ADD. Coaching for ADD focuses on understanding how ADD affects the client and on building structures to manage daily tasks.

To conclude, Mr. or Ms. Manager, if you are concerned about your productivity level or bottom line, look for your employees' strengths and help each one to do what he/she is good at and they will reward you richly.

_____________________________________________________________

* Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD) is not a helpful name. It is not about a deficit of attention but about an inconsistency of attention. A person with ADD can pay attention very well to things that are interesting and therefore stimulating, but they have difficulty controlling their attention in situations in which they find no stimulation.

Attention Deficit and/or Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the current term as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) of the American Psychiatric Association. The current understanding of researchers is that there are two different problems, attention deficit and hyperactivity which may occur together or separately. Hyperactivity is well known as a problem in boys, but it usually subsides in adolescence; problems of attention tend to persist in adults.

About The Author

Sarah Jane Keyser is an ADHD coach with an international practice who helps adults and adolescents find joy and fulfillment with ADHD. Feel free to use this article as long as you include author's bio and a live link to her website.

Learn more about ADHD at http://www.CoachingKeytoADD.com or sign up for Zebra Stripes, a free E-zine for ADHD at Click here

---

Getting the Job thats Right for You

I'm the type of person that considers a healthy, enjoyable... Read More

3 Cover Letter Secrets Revealed

Writing a cover letter can be like cleaning your garage... Read More

Bartending School Online- Earn Your Bartender Training From Home

Many young adults flock to bars, lounges and clubs on... Read More

10 Things to Do to Get the Job

10. Understand all of the opportunities available to you. Don't... Read More

Is A Career a Calling or Choice?

How much of our career path is destiny and how... Read More

Resume Software ? The Hidden Pitfalls

Disadvantages of Resume SoftwareFormat A large majority of software requires... Read More

Networking Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Them

'Fear of rejection' is the major reason why individuals looking... Read More

How To Establish Trust, Credibility and Enthusiasm To Your Interviewer

If you use your voice to get attention, you use... Read More

Building Performance Trust

You can have outstanding ideas, yet never leverage them into... Read More

CDL Practice Test ? Offers Practice Tests To Prepare For The CDL Exam

As you take CDL practice test, you do become more... Read More

Get a Raise: How To Ask Your Boss For More Money

How many people do you know who think they deserve... Read More

Recruiting on the Web Requires Special Record Keeping for Legal Purposes

by Lesli Peterson, Business Analyst, VCGwith Phil McCutchen,... Read More

Telecommuting Website (Part Two)

Last article I discussed why a telecommuter would benefit from... Read More

Why Do You Want This Job?

Why Do You Want This Job? Is it because any... Read More

Effective Resume and Cover Letter Writing - Part One

To begin, make a decision to discard any former knowledge... Read More

Are You Ready To Start A Business? Take This Quiz and See

Don't get discouraged! A "no" answer to any of the... Read More

Telecommuting Website (Part One)

"I've heard you talk about building a website to get... Read More

Seeking Knowledge Will Give You Power

What are you interested in? We all have a passion... Read More

Those Little Things

Moving to another state meant finding a new dentist. I... Read More

Resumes That Rock (16 Expert Tips)

It's never too early to update your resume, even if... Read More

How to Become a Real Estate Agent

If you're wondering how to become a real estate agent,... Read More

Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career Design

There is one little practice that is vital to generating... Read More

Common Résumé Mistakes

Using a general résumé.DON'T DO IT! You cannot successfully use... Read More

Do You Have What it Takes to be a Successful Petite Model?

Want to break into the petite modeling industry but wondering... Read More

The 5 Essential Telecommute Résumé Components

1. An attractive layout that is easy to read and... Read More

Seriously Impress at Your Interview With These 7 Hot Tips

So you've managed to secure a job interview for a... Read More

Dynamic Pre-Hiring Practices

The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. Much time and... Read More

Surviving Corporate Politics Part 2: Keeping Up Appearances

Never a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression, or... Read More

What Recruiters Hate About Resumes And Cover Letters

Today, I'm going to share with you the awful truth... Read More

Planning Your Successful Career: 15 Ideas

"Doing a good job is one of the most important... Read More

Five Facts You Must Know When Changing Careers

Too often in life, we fail. We fail not because... Read More

The Perfect Resume

The perfect resume presents hiring managers with a... Read More

Can You Compete?

Are you looking to hire the best talent? Are you... Read More