When we work with leaders who have Adults with ADHD in their teams, they often want to know “how they can help that team member be more productive and focused, so that they deliver better value to all stakeholders, increase profitability and ultimately stay ahead of the competition.
When looking for that answer, they often focus on traditional productivity solutions rather than taking a closer look at how an adult with ADHD can be productive with a personalized approach that suits their “sometimes” distracted brain.
We all work better when we have productivity solutions that work for us, the same is true for someone with ADHD. We also know that working under stress significantly reduces our productivity level. When ADHD brain and stress are combined, oftentimes adults with ADHD have challenges in regulating and managing their emotions which makes it hard for them to tap into their rational part of their brain to come up with solutions to reduce stress. They feel stuck and will often hold back from asking for help.
The good news is that you don’t need to be an ADHD expert in order to support individuals to become productive and focused.
How do we do that? There are 6 influencers that we need to evaluate so that the individual can not only become aware of what is really affecting their performance, also take a systemic approach in addressing each area to shift to a high-performance state and total engagement in their day.
Here is how you can support them:
We ask that you set aside time to have meaningful conversation on digging deeper into the 6 stressors/energy drains. Any time that they are not performing to the best of their ability, something is blocking their energy and most likely it could be one or more of the influencers: Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical, Social, or Environmental factor which may hold them back.
- Spiritual – occurs when they are not aligned to values and beliefs of the team or the organization. They could also be questioning their own values.
- Mental – they are spreading themselves too thin, taking on more tasks than they can handle. Or doing tasks that are not exciting or of interest.
- Emotional – this occurs when their needs are not being met and they hold back from speaking up or asking for help.
- Physical – occur when their body is not functioning at its optimal, often calling in sick, many visits to the doctor.
- Social – they don’t have access to a support network or social connections
- Environment – their work space does not fully meet their needs, i.e. overly bright room, noisy office space, home office may not be suitable for them.
Once you have identified which of these energy drainers are affecting their productivity make the necessary changes to reduce stress in that area. Work collaboratively with the individual to come with ideal solutions. These influencers give you as the leader a deeper view on how to effectively support your team in a personalized solution. After all, every adult with ADHD has unique needs and one size does not fit all.
Adults with ADHD are highly resourceful, once they feel supported they can come up with great solutions to move past their obstacles.