Making ADHD Work for Me

Back in May, we shared our commitment to elevating mental health through a blog called “Look Around, Look Within: Mental Health in the Workplace”. This sparked open discussions across our company and resulted in several employees feeling safe enough to identify their invisible disabilities… including one new hire with attention deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  

With October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we saw this as an opportunity to elevate discussions around “Advancing Access and Equity” of those sometimes forgotten individuals with invisible disabilities navigating the workplace today. More specifically, we took a hard look at our own company policies to ensure we were effectively (and empathetically) supporting those with ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions.

Neurodivergence is a concept originally attributed to the 1990s sociologist Judy Singer, a self-advocate with autism, who challenged conventional ideas about what is considered ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’. The term neurodivergent has been coined to describe those with mental health conditions, such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Down’s Syndrome.

According to Harvard Health, Neurodiversity is “the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking, learning and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.”

As a part of our DIBE (Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity) series “More Than a Month”, we asked Harry Boorman, Qualitative Director at The Sound, to share his experience navigating his career with ADHD by “making ADHD work for him”.  

 

Here’s Harry’s story…

Despite having ADHD, I have managed to do okay. At least, a lot better than I would have thought when I was at school. I am now a published author and a Director at The Sound with a good track record for building client relationships and delivering strong, actionable research.

However, as a kid, previously diagnosed with Dyslexia in the UK education system, life wasn’t easy. Education, often taught as a form of comprehension tasks (e.g. read this and answer that), wasn’t something I found particularly easy or interesting. To pass my exams I needed to work extra hard and try to find my own ways to make English and Math interesting.

One particular moment at school I remember vividly was when my English teacher told me I was definitely going to fail English. A bit blunt maybe, but it did half spur me on to prove her wrong. Well, I passed, be it only just.

At this time, I knew that I didn’t learn like everyone else, but I did know two things. I was determined and I wasn’t stupid. In fact, I seemed to excel in other areas. I recall getting an A in my English oral exam by portraying one of the characters in Wuthering Heights accurately. I could think on my feet well and seemed to do okay under pressure. In fact, my final exam results tended to be higher than predicted overall as it made me more focussed.

Another aspect was confidence. Being pitched up against more academically advanced students in top sets did very little for me. In Science I hovered between top and second set and seemed to do really well when I was the more advanced person in the class in second set but seemed to not do so well when I was the least advanced at the top. Confidence, positive reinforcement and determination were key. Distractions, lack of belief and disinterest were disastrous.

What I realized as I grew older and was eventually diagnosed with ADHD, is that my skills are simply different to the majority and if utilized correctly, can be quite powerful. Recently things like ‘StrengthFinder’ training are now commonplace in many workplaces. Encouraging people to focus more on their strengths rather than constantly trying to fix their weaknesses. This shift in mindset for me was revolutionary. I was quite good at presenting, running focus groups and workshops and creating close bonds with clients. But yes, I had to overcome some challenges with writing, project management and generally being a junior person at work where I lacked confidence.

I could think on my feet well and seemed to do okay under pressure. In fact, my final exam results tended to be higher than predicted overall as it made me more focussed.

So I decided to start trying to find joy in the tasks I was not typically good at. I made my diary more visually appealing. Anyone who has seen my diary will now know that it is fully colour-coded, with plastic coloured folders containing print outs that match up with the same colours in my online diary. It is also very structured and in my opinion quite visually appealing. I started taking pride in being early and getting tasks done without procrastination in order to become more efficient. I rewarded myself with breaks or treats when (and only when) tasks were completed. All ways of trying to find the joy in the tasks I previously found mundane… and with that came competence. Believe it or not, I now enjoy scheduling, costing and writing.

As I became more senior I started to master my craft, finding meaningful ways to help clients with their business issues, which they seemed to like and acknowledge that I was quite good at it. With this grew a love for what I do and a sense of confidence. I started to focus on storytelling and finding ways to write insight in a more engaging way, not just for clients but for me. If I found something boring in my reports then I probably wasn’t telling it right or it probably wasn’t going to engage anyone else either.

I started playing with words, using a thesaurus to write more creatively and thinking more about how what I was saying would make people feel rather than just inform them. Becoming more ruthless in what I wrote, I culled unnecessary or non actionable details that appeared to be  common issues in the market research industry. I liked to think (and have also been told) that I broke the old stereotype for market researchers who were full of facts and figures but struggled to engage. Although I’m hoping this stereotype is swiftly fading nowadays.

I started taking pride in being early and getting tasks done without procrastination in order to become more efficient. I rewarded myself with breaks or treats when (and only when) tasks were completed. All ways of trying to find the joy in the tasks I previously found mundane…

I have now written my book which will be published in October this year (which traveling back twenty years or so is not something I would have considered possible). It isn’t about research but instead about a personal journey birdwatching across New Zealand with the aim of breaking a New Zealand record for the most bird species ever seen in a calendar year.

Rather than writing journals about my adventures along the way I captured these moments using video on social media as a form of reference throughout the year. Each video focussed on key experiences where I found or encountered rare birds, allowing me to relive the feelings and emotions in these moments when it came to writing my book, rather than just the generic recollections or diaries of what happened. Being able to relive the memories through video helped me write the book and helped me focus more on the stories and experiences, instead of simply listing out the hundreds of birds I saw throughout the year.

So what have I learned from this? Well, I think we can all focus on our strengths a bit more and find ways to embrace them and utilize them more in our everyday lives. I think we can try and find joy and shift our mindsets about tasks we perhaps don’t enjoy quite as much (where there is a will there’s a way). And I think we need to find people in our lives who encourage us to grow and develop and help us strive to better ourselves, whatever drawbacks we are initially faced with. Luckily for me, I feel the environment I’m working in at The Sound does this!

 

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We thank Harry for having the courage to share his story and illuminate the challenges one with ADHD must overcome to make their workplace work for them. 

Harry feels valued and supported at his current place of work, but for those with ADHD this isn’t always the case. In fact, according to the American Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), ADHD at work results in 1 out of 3 people diagnosed with ADHD being jobless at any given time.

Similar to Harry’s experience during school, the workplace can perpetuate stigma around “atypical” or “nontraditional” ways of doing things, which end up excluding those with different abilities. It’s easier to identify barriers to the workplace for people with a physical disability or impairment, as there are visual barriers or disparities which can easily be pointed out. But what about when a person’s disability is invisible? Sometimes invisible means out of sight/out of mind. So, ask yourself, are neurodiverse individuals part of your DE&I strategy?

The Korn Ferry Institute’s new report, Neurodiversity: the little-known superpower, found that “companies that made neurodiversity a focus of their DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts have seen boosts in engagement, performance and profits. In particular, these companies have experienced increased innovation, improved communication, and widespread feelings of psychological safety, leading to more diverse, equitable and inclusive cultures.”

For people who are neurodivergent, like Harry, how can organizations advance access and equity through employment and partnerships? Here are some tips:

Develop an inclusive recruitment process:

Interviews can be particularly difficult for many neurodiverse candidates. Provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to job opportunities.

• Ensure your process is designed to include neurodivergent talent (e.g. ensuring job descriptions are clear and concise, avoiding vague language).
• Utilize technology and tools to manage the recruitment process and make it more accessible (e.g. use video interviewing software that allows candidates to record their answers in their own time).
• Offer alternative options to traditional interviews, such as giving candidates the interview questions ahead of time, which may help those who struggle with communication or linear and chronological processing.
• Use a skill based hiring approach and focus on characteristics and talents that add value to the role, rather than personal connections which create bias. Establish mission critical responsibilities and identify areas where you can be flexible (e.g. match neurodiverse talent with job responsibilities that are ideally suited to their skills like pattern recognition, visualization and abstract thinking).

Ensure your workplace is accessible: 

There are many accommodations organizations can make to the work environment that allows people to maintain or increase productivity, while alleviating common struggles. Consider these environment changes for people with sensory issues:

• Flexible schedule – e.g. frequent breaks, flexible working hours (i.e. start/stop times), etc.
• Workplace alterations – e.g. physical modifications (flexible seating), private or quiet workspace, decompression spaces, remote work (e.g. overhead lights may cause overstimulation, so change the lighting or allow employees to wear sunglasses), etc.
• Assistive technology – e.g. video interview, noise canceling headphones, fidget toys, task list apps, reminder apps, etc.
• Written instructions – e.g. clear, concise and consistent communication, break down tasks into small steps, try to give advance notice if plans are changing and provide a reason for the change, etc. 
• Time management strategies – e.g. software or smart app (i.e. options, per Zapier include “Amazing Marvin”, “TickTick”, “Sunsama”), calendar/task apps, flexibility for employee to break tasks into 15 minute chunks, planner, keeping digital/analog clocks nearby, etc. 

Offer training and development opportunities: 

Offering targeted training and development opportunities throughout the organization can address the specific needs of neurodivergent talent to reach their full potential.

• Leadership Development – Train your leaders on “coaching” and being an active listener so they can conceptualize outcomes that work for the organization through collaborating with their team and asking the right questions.
• Line managers – Partner with your employee during performance reviews and focus on strengths. Identify how positive ADHD traits could be utilized (i.e. opportunities for deep dive research using hyperfocusing) and allow employees to build their own collection of strategies for success in their workplace.
• Provide mentorship: Set up a mentorship program that pairs experienced neurodivergent professionals with new recruits to help them adjust to the workplace.
• Career development resources – Outline a clear path to advancement for neurodiverse employees which outlines what they need to do to be successful.
• Training workshops – Provide opportunities for neurodivergent talent to develop their skills and explore career paths through workshops, online classes, or participating in job shadowing.

Create a supportive culture:

Foster a workplace culture of acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity. Some examples of this may include:

• Inclusion – Foster an empathetic environment where your overall team will support those needing accommodations without judgment or gossip. Workplace education is the key to understanding and accepting diversity.
• Communication – Training employees on different communication styles. For example, some neurodiverse individuals may struggle with Audio Processing Disorder (APD) where they take things very literally, which may lead to misunderstanding.
• Empathy –  Per KornFerry, “train managers to be aware of signs of overload, such as zoning out, stimming/fidgeting, restlessness, irritability, confusion, or distress and recommend resources for those experiencing this kind of overload. Managers should partner with their employees to identify triggers and address them before the overload happens.” (e.g. “not requiring people to turn on their camera for remote meetings and understanding why some people aren’t comfortable making eye contact with others”).
• Embrace Change – Develop skills within your team for adapting to new environments, curiously testing out new strategies and confidently embracing ‘failure’ to try again. Employees become resilient and empowered to support each other.

 

Advancing access for those with disabilities will never be a one size fits all approach. Specifically with neurodiverse individuals, each presentation may be different in both symptoms and severity. This may look like differences in social preferences, ways of learning, ways of communicating and/or ways of perceiving their environment. The important thing is to pay attention to what every individual needs to not only do their job, but to feel good doing it. 

So let’s continue to have the important conversations. Disrupting bias through open dialogue can create access for individuals and start a hiring chain that normalizes what work could look like and who performs it. We love the “Hiring chain” represented through this commercial.

Investing in the diversity of representation in your workplace doesn’t just benefit those who are neurodiverse. It benefits the collective group by creating a work environment built around empathy, respect, patience and overall kindness! Works for us.