managing add adhd

I had a worker for several years, part time, who carried those labels. He spent the first 30 years of his life without the labels because they hadn't been invented yet. It was only after his son was singled out for evaluation that he discovered why he, too, had issues that most people do not.

He was a great worker, but with limits. But, if you think about it, we all have certain quirks that impact our abilities in one way or another. I wouldn't worry too much about your associate's limitations but simply make assignments in light of those limitations.

The biggest single issue in a work environment with numerous employees is getting everyone to understand and accept the idiosyncrasies of their fellow co-workers. If you have an employee who is deathly afraid of water, you do not send them out to take center line shots or cross-sections of bodies of water. If you have an employee who has specific allergies tied to certain times of the year, you try to keep them in the office or at work sites with minimal chance of exposure to the irritants at those times. Working with someone with ADD or similar issues is no different. Find their strengths and exploit those instead of trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

Sometimes, especially in small businesses, the square peg simply will not work out in the long run. The sooner that determination is made the better.

I have a friend in the business that prefers natures tranquilizer, but my 2 boys have been diagnosed and they take Adderall XR 20 mg capsules twice daily.

Enthusiastic. Forgetful.

Would lists help or overwhelm?

Legally am I allowed to talk to her about the condition? I believe a conversation could help define her roles but if it means she cannot be let go after then Don't ask, Don't tell.

I will talk with a friend this weekend with add. My friend is medicated which apparently helps. My friend is in no way a manager and she is a self employed artist... No managerial advice expected.

The fellow I mentioned. His son reaped great benefits after being diagnosed. One thing that researchers have learned is that those with ADD can do most anything, they just can't do it the same way as everyone else. One thing they have found is that standard tests in schools are set up for everyone except those with ADD. Put the student in a separate location with a proctor and allow more than the standard time allotment. The results are far better than when left in the standard test setting.The student knows the answers and can produce them, but not in the wrong environment. Universities have become very aware of this and have found ways to allow this type of testing. This made all the difference in the world for young Weston. He not only graduated in Electrical Engineering, he went on to get his Masters and has been working on NASA-related projects since his graduate school days. When he was in Fifth Grade the teachers were ready to stick him in a corner and forget about him.

ADD/ADHD is a tough problem to handle. One of my kids has that problem.
To explain a task to someone with this condition you must insure that they are focused on you and what you are telling them, Otherwise it will be, " Yes Sir, I understand that you want me to.......SQUIRREL!!"
I took a "Train the Trainer" class in the military that addressed this problem. What they do is to have you tell the class what you are about to tell them, tell them the data you need to get across, then tell them what you just told them and then ask them to tell you what you just told them. Sounds convoluted, but it does work. You just have to do it in a manner that does not make them feel like you are demeaning them.

I'm ADHD, and I have my SIT, working towards my PLS. I've been surveying for 8 years now. It's a great job for someone with ADHD, for a few reasons. Chief among them would be that spending time in nature has been shown to help manage the condition in any number of studies, so being on the field crew at least every few days might help your employee to focus and accomplish their tasks.

Another big reason that it can be a good fit is that being able to focus more on results than a clock is very helpful. It's massive to not have to worry about a 9 o clock meeting, and instead once you get to work to just be able to focus on your task, whether that's designing a subdivision or locating a property. To help them succeed, try to judge them on how much they are accomplishing in a day, rather than if you look over and see them spaced out a bit. With a lot of tasks, it is accomplished in spurts and even when they are spaced out, the wheels are often turning.

Lists help for some, but don't for others. Getting into some sort of routine is generally universally helpful, as will be the point when they begin to understand the entire job instead of trying to learn and do at the same time.

I would also say that one advantage ADD/ADHD has in this field, is that my being constantly aware of all new information, I can sniff pins and corners out no problem. That stream of information helps me see what just might be a few old notches on that tree over there...

If you have any questions, feel free to message me or have your employee message me.

Physical activity helps.

Thanks for sharing that personal message and encounters, and solutions. At least your personal solutions that work for you.

I think most surveyors have some form of ADD, or OCD, or as our devine bovine friend points out above - some varying degree of quirkyness. He also points out the remedies in employee moral by working with it as opposed to direct instructions. And face it, us die hard surveyors do have some similarities and lots of differing thoughts. But yet we get along for the most part.

I picked surveying about 40 yrs ago because I love outdoors (even MI snow & mosquitoes), am good with numbers, and every project is different in it's own way. Thus never boring. Even though I started in Forestry for the same reasons, but switched majors.

It was more fun in the 70's & 80's than it is now, but it's what we do. I still like about 50% of my work, the rest are calling on me to get the heck out of the way. I'd gladly oblige them if I could hit the lottery.

Good luck to you mneuder, and again - thanks for sharing

You have gotten some very good advice so far. My primary education is counseling, and that's been a real help in this Profession. That comment is not a shot at anyone or a joke.
With certain types of intelligence you can expect a greater number of related pathologies. That doesn't make us flawed, nuts, dumb or useless. We are simply different. Most of us who last into the grey hair years have endured horrible working conditions and likely caused the same for others. It doesn't have to be that way.
At the end of the day every personality is nothing more than a unique collection of pathologies. A good worker learns to leverage them to their advantage. A good leader learns how to capitalize on those they recognize in others. It is essential to listen to and observe this person (and every other employee). Put them in an environment where they can perform. The conversation does not need to involve labels or terms. In the end you are simply trying to create an environment that works for an individual AND the company. It sounds like you're willing to do that.
Good Luck, Tom

Lists are Helpful!!!

The more structure the better. The more routine the better. If you can work in reminders into your systems for non-routine items in the employee's schedule, it will help both of you.

Your ADD/ADHD employee will probably do a great job at all items he remembers to do, but if something is not a normal part of daily routine, is not a "do this on every job, every time" type of item, does not appear on a list, and is not the subject of some other scheduling reminder, it stands a pretty good chance of being forgotten.

If your employee doesn't appreciate having checklists or working from a to do list at first, they will after some getting used to period.

Also, if they are prescribed medication for it, they need to remember to take it every day. If it's a fairly mild case, they can manage OK without it as long as they are working within pretty well defined systems and routines. But if they have a relatively severe case, they can be highly distracted and scattered for the whole day, especially if they are in a position where clients or other employees are liable to call or stop by and ask for info or work that distracts them from what they are supposed to be getting done. Kind of like a dog that's supposed to be flushing pheasant for you but someone comes along and says "Here Fido, go fetch!" and tosses a tennis ball the other way. They mean to be helpful, but get off track easily.

The way it was explained to me is that we all have a sort of traffic cop in our minds that helps to direct our thoughts in some semblance of order so that we can not only take in the input given to us, but order it, process it effectively, and act accordingly to gat things accomplished. The ADHD person's mental traffic cop is either lazy or asleep. The medication wakes that part of the mind up so that all those thoughts aren't just zipping around willy-nilly.

Speaking of which, I've got a map to put together. I'm pretty sure that's the next thing on my list... which is under one of these stacks of paper... found it!

Also, the best place for someone with ADHD is usually in the field. Unless they are th echief on a construction job with a superintendent or forman who is constantly asking for something different, extra work, or complaining about yesterday's stakes, the input is easier to deal with and make order of.

With some good experience, developing and using their own reminder systems, your ADHD employee may become one of your best problem solvers. sounds a little counter intuitive, but sometimes all those thoughts flying around willy-nilly in their heads run into each other in useful ways that wouldn't normally happen in a "calmer" mind.

It is a tough situation. We are weighing options and talking to others.

The individual's family are close friends to close family friends.

The individual is very pleasant, outgoing and excited. The individual seems to lack in what I would consider common knowledge of a 34-year old.

The real concern here is if we take the effort to restructure to their needs, will we have a decent employee? I am not sure we will and we do not have the extra time to hold someone's hand through very basic training. Hopefully the family friends can shed some light.

[sarcasm]Would it be wrong to spike the coffee with meds? Might get the whole office moving a little faster.[/sarcasm]