Managing Team Members with ADHD

Continuing on the theme of managing neurodiverse teams, we now tackle the topic of team members with ADHD. You may be one of them, in which case you’re probably very empathetic to their plight–but remember that each individual is different, so your challenges, and the solutions you have found that work for you, may not apply.

Let’s start by acknowledging that support is a pretty good fit for many individuals with ADHD, since it provides both a natural structure (cases) and lots of diversity. It also plays to the natural strengths of people with ADHD, especially their curiosity and their ability to switch contexts quickly. That said, it can be extremely challenging for them to stay on task through completion (a big issue for aging cases), or on the other hand to abandon a task to attend to other priorities (so struggles managing their queues).

Here are three techniques to improve your management strategy for people with ADHD–and, as we will see, your management skills period.

Help them find organizational tools that work for them

They may be different than the ones you use and love. By mid-career, many individuals will just know what works for them but remind them that they can use visual reminders and time-blocking techniques to cope with their struggles staying on task (and getting off tasks instead of being sucked in).

Check in frequently on their progress. You’ll avoid surprises, and your encouragement may be just the boost they need to keep going.

Be flexible in when and how the work gets done

Of course, it needs to get done but a different schedule, location, noise level may make a big difference in productivity. Grant as much freedom as you can. (This is good for all your team members, by the way.)

Be very, very clear

Avoid vague assignments, informal requests, or large projects. This is alo a good strategy for all team members, and as a bonus it will help you structure your thinking. Put things in writing, provide a single source of truth, and break complex tasks into milestones.

NAMI has a great guide for working with individuals with ADHD. Check it out for more ideas.

What have you done to accommodate the needs of your neurodiverse team members? Any successes you’d like to share?