ADULT ADD/ADHD COACHING

Once thought of primarily as a learning disability in children, experts now believe ADD also affects about 5% of adults, providing both challenges and opportunities in the workplace.

ADD, or attention deficit disorder, is a cluster of problems that have to do with managing the mind. Not a disease or illness, it’s a condition, like being near-sighted. It can manifest in a variety of traits, differently in each person.

ADD is not easy for the non-ADDer to understand. It presents two very different faces to the world. On the one hand, those with ADD may be extremely talented people, capable of great things. On the other, those same people may struggle with the most mundane kinds of tasks, such as getting to places on time, losing keys or remembering what somebody just said.

It might help to just think of those with ADD as being wired a little differently than the majority of people on this planet. I love the way one of my clients, a very successful attorney, describes his ADD:

"It’s like there’s a popcorn popper going off in my brain 24 hours a day!"

What he means is his brain is always coming up with new ideas. The good news is he has a never-ending flow of ideas. The bad news is the flow of ideas is so continuous that it’s very hard at times to stay focused on implementing any of them, let alone all.

In my coaching with ADD adults, I’ve identified over 50 different traits that I commonly see. Some traits are the source for all kinds of problems: being easily distracted, having difficulty completing tasks, disorganization, being easily overwhelmed, procrastination, perfectionism, being chronically late.

Yet my list also includes such positive traits as: high creativity, highly imaginative, intuitive, the ability to hyper-focus, resilience, a strong attraction to new ideas, etc.

ADD IN THE WORKPLACE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

It was once thought that adults with ADD were concentrated in a few fields. On the contrary, my ADD clients reflect a broad spectrum of professions, including lawyers, engineers, nurses, writers, academics, musicians, artists, creative directors, chefs, real estate brokers, pharmacists, financial planners, therapists and small business owners. Without a doubt, ADD cuts across the workforce in almost every direction.

That presents both opportunities and challenges for the business world.

The opportunities have to do with the incredible talents those with ADD can bring to the workplace. Highly intelligent and creative, they are often brilliant visionaries and problem solvers. They see connections and patterns that others don’t, often resulting in innovative ideas for the workplace. Many are classically suited to be entrepreneurs.

The challenges have to do with the fact that those with ADD often find it hard, or in some cases almost impossible, to do certain things the rest of the world does routinely. So they may have a hard time sitting still, paying attention, may blurt things out at inappropriate times, may get easily distracted, may tune out. None of these or other quirky behaviors endears them to employers. If the person with ADD owns a business, these types of behaviors can drive their employees crazy.

COACHING FOR ADULTS WITH ADD

Coaching can make a real difference.

Adults with ADD often don’t get much empathy from the rest of the world. So they benefit tremendously when they have someone who supports and encourages them, who gets that they’re not weird or crazy, just wired a little differently from the majority of folks on the planet and more than capable of great things.

Drs. Edward Hallowell and John Ratey, in their 1994 groundbreaking ADD book, Driven to Distraction, had this to say about coaching:

"Your coach can help you get organized, stay on task, give you encouragement … stand in your corner. A coach can be tremendously helpful in treating ADD."

Helping you make the most of your positive traits and diminishing the influence of the negative ones is what ADD Coaching is all about.