If you Google ‘ADHD traits’ you will find a list that looks like this:
- Struggle to focus
- Struggle to complete tasks
- Struggle to pay attention
- Struggle with organization
- Struggle with planning
- Struggle with stress.
It’s all struggle, struggle and more struggle. It’s enough to make anyone feel hopeless.
We can all agree, ADHD has its challenges, but there are loads of positive traits, too:
- Resilience
- Creativity
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Hyper-focus
- Calm in a crisis (some of the most stressful jobs are staffed by those with ADHD)
- Conversational skills
- Spontaneity
- Entrepreneurial
- Empathetic and intuitive
- Thinks outside the box
- Ability to derive patterns where others see chaos
- Courageous
- Ability to find unique solutions to difficult problems
- Ability to talk about different topics at one time
- High energy
- Willingness to take risks.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Make accommodations for neurodiversity
ADHD in the workplace can be a massive strength. Unfortunately, too many business owners still think that ADHD is a problem. It’s pure ignorance built on old-fashioned stigmas and stereotypes. ADHD can be challenging, but polls show that neurodivergent employees have many strengths, such as creativity, innovation and focus. These strengths, however, are often hindered by a lack of workplace accommodations.
An ADHD mind might think outside the box, spot patterns and trends, spot gaps in the market and find unique and cost-saving ways of solving problems.
Having ADHD minds within your organization will give you a fresh perspective, a new way of thinking and a competitive advantage.
Putting accommodations in place is the best investment a company can make. Those simple accommodations will enable the ADHD mind to deliver results which will make the cost associated with the accommodations shrink into insignificance. It’s about time we forgot about old-fashioned, outdated stereotypes and recognize ADHD as a strength in the workplace.
We all have amazing strengths. The problem, however, is that the ‘normal’ way of living isn’t always aligned with the conditions we need in order to thrive. Our work, relationships and everything in between can require a shift from what we all consider to be ‘normal’. As I will repeat over and over again: forcing ourselves to be neurotypical will cause us great anxiety, so we must ask the world to accommodate us better.
The strengths of ADHD
I once disclosed my ADHD to a colleague and they immediately said, ‘Is that why you’re late sometimes?’ I said, ‘Yes, but it’s also the reason my intuition can warn you that the person you’re having that business meeting with is trying to screw you over.’
I have amazing pattern recognition, which means I’m amazing at predicting future trends.
I’m entrepreneurial, which means I’ll think like a CEO and you’ll benefit from having another out-of-the-box thinker within your organization.
I’ve got great conversational skills and I’m a super-fast thinker, which will be an asset to you at any negotiating table.
So yes, my ADHD is the reason I’m late sometimes, but it’s also the reason I forget to take my lunch break, so it balances out.
The colleague looked at me in amazement and said, ‘That makes a lot of sense.’
