PLEASE HELP - Communication at Work

In my communications class my group is doing a 30-minute educational presentation on the challenges that adults with ADD face in communicating in professional relationships.
I was hoping that you guys could give me some personal perspectives on this topic to back up our other research, and provide some interesting new ideas and quotes.

Anything you could contribute would be really great. Either post your response here or email me at jamiemarie_t@yahoo.com. If we can quote you, just let me know and provide a real name.

Our main focus is the effect of adult ADD on communication in professional relationships.

Here's some other questions we're focusing on:

What are some of the challenges facing adults with ADD in the workplace?
How does having adult ADD affect your ability to communicate effectively?
How does adult ADD affect communication in the workplace?
Ideally, what could be done by employers in general to acknowledge, accommodate, and/or support adults with ADD?
What could be done by employees with ADD to better cope with the challenges that they face in the work place?
Do you think that adult ADD affects the hiring decisions of potential employers?
What makes a job ADD-friendly?

ANYTHING you can give us would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!
Jamie

Hello there!

I'd love to answer some of your questions!

What are some of the challenges facing adults with ADD in the workplace?

I think the largest challenge perhaps is organization, or what appears to be the lack thereof. We are the people who never remember their checkbook to get the direct deposit set up, can't find the file just now, but if you'll give us just a bit...

We are also the ones who have brilliant ideas that we tend to jam out in presentation form at the last minute. We can't sit still, we talk all the time, we surf the net, we're easily distracted -- and we're your best salesperson, your most creative employee, the smartest one on the team, and produce an extraordinary amount of work despite not doing any until the last minute. If only we'd get it together...


How does having adult ADD affect your ability to communicate effectively?

In my case, I CAN'T SHUT UP!!! Ever. Never. Drive the point home over and over again. Lock onto a subject like a pit bull and worry it to death. Repeat myself....Oh, look, that's shiny!

As I was saying...I CAN'T SHUT UP!!! Ever. Never. Drive the point home.... *LOL!!*


How does adult ADD affect communication in the workplace?

In my case, it affects most the way I am perceived. At my last job, I was considered a 'loose cannon'. Absolutely brilliant, completely dependable, but no telling what would come out of my mouth next. For me, the big problem was dealing with office politics. Those are shark-infested waters for everybody, but most especially the impulse-driven, hyperactive ADHD-er I am.

Ideally, what could be done by employers in general to acknowledge, accommodate, and/or support adults with ADD?

Speaking from a strictly office-environment perspective, a HUGE help would be reasonable working accommodations in the ole cube farm. Don't put me out there in the line of traffic or right smack in the 'town center' of the cube farm with people walking past, telephones ringing, people pouring coffee and gossiping not even three feet away, and everything bustling around me! You don't have to give me the cherry corner-window cube, and you don't have to find me an office, but I wish employers would be sensitive to those of us who are sensitive to surroundings. Find us a reasonably distraction-free spot to work in, and we're perfectly content.


What could be done by employees with ADD to better cope with the challenges that they face in the work place?

First and foremost, take yer damn meds!

Find a way that you can actually maintain to get organized. I use a Franklin planner and I flag and colorcode incoming email according to priority. I don't use the Franklin planner to it's fullest, like the people in the Franklin Covey store, but I learned long ago that might be a tad more than I can handle. The important thing is that you find something that works for you and that you will stay with long-term.

No clue on the whole office-politics thing, to be honest. I go to a lot of therapy, and these days I work at home!


Do you think that adult ADD affects the hiring decisions of potential employers?

I believe it absolutely would if said adult ADD-er were to open their mouths before getting hired and announce it! I think once you're hired, provided you're an otherwise competent employee, most reasonably enlightened companies won't fire you over it -- but you can kiss advancement goodbye.

What makes a job ADD-friendly?

Ah, there's a good question! I think that jobs that focus on a comfortable working environment physically, where everyone has a space that has a certain amount of peace and quiet helps tremendously. Another biggie is a results-oriented approach to business instead of a more 'time clock' approach.

So, there you have it! I hope you get a good grade!

I just wanted to thank you for your response, and I hope you will wish me luck as our presentation is tomorrow. Thanks again!

JM