15

Achieving Success in the Workplace

Making the Career Process ADD-Friendly

This book has covered a tremendous range of material concerning Attention Deficit Disorder in the workplace. At this point you may feel a little overwhelmed, not knowing where or how to begin. You may harbor a secret wish that someone would just identify the perfect job for you so that you could go find it and live happily ever after, without bothering with all of the issues I have discussed in this book. An understandable wish!

Of course you feel overwhelmed! This final chapter offers you something that can help you get started and that you can also use as a model for handling complicated long-term projects: a short summary of the highlights covered in the book.

Take Charge of Your ADD so It Won’t Take Charge of You!

Taking charge means becoming an actor rather than a reactor. What is an actor? An actor is someone who sets a course for him- or herself rather than staying in a reactive mode. Many people with ADD have lived their entire lives in a reactive mode, responding to whatever random opportunity or event comes their way. The most important message of this book is that to take charge of your ADD, of your career, and of your life, you need to develop the attitude and skills of an actor.

An actor is a problem solver, a solution seeker. ADD actors work to control events inside themselves, by managing their ADD symptoms, and outside of themselves, by finding or creating an ADD- friendly environment. These actors seek ways to work with and to even profit from their ADD rather than allow their ADD to work against them.

Taking charge means managing troublesome ADD patterns. You can’t tackle them all at once, and you shouldn’t try to tackle them all alone. With the help of a counselor or coach, you can pinpoint your most troublesome ADD patterns, identify which one to work on first, and then problem-solve to find the best management techniques. After you have found the best approaches, don’t expect yourself to change overnight. Building new habits takes practice.

Remember the four P’s

Don’t Approach Habits like a Crash Diet! they take Time to Develop

Many adults with ADD report that they never really learned how to develop habits as a child. Many adults with ADD treat habit development like a crash diet. They make a resolution, expect perfection of themselves, and quit in defeat a few days or weeks later. A habit takes lots of repetition to develop. Parents have to remind their children hundreds of times to brush their teeth before the children develop the habit. Just as you shouldn’t expect a child to develop a new habit overnight, neither should you expect this of yourself. Learning ADD management skills is the process of developing many small habits. Don’t despair. Start small, and keep at it (a coach or counselor can help).

Taking Charge Means Understanding Yourself

For real understanding, testing is helpful. Not everyone needs every type of test. At a minimum, you should complete the ADD Workplace Questionnaire in this book, and take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Both are quick and usually inexpensive. Learning disability testing should only be considered if you answered “yes” to a number of items in the section “Related Cognitive Difficulties” in the ADD Workplace Questionnaire. Interest and ability testing can be useful if you don’t feel you have a good idea of yourself in these areas. The better you understand yourself, your values, your personality, your talents, your weak points, and your interests, the better the career choice you will make.

Create an ADD-Friendly Environment

Taking charge means finding or creating an ADD-friendly environment. One of the most damaging effects of ADD is the relentless stream of negative feedback received over a lifetime. As an adult you have the chance to look for employers who will enjoy and appreciate your best traits. Look for workplace environments that are not rigid, rule-bound, and focused on details. This doesn’t mean that you don’t want to change some of your ADD patterns. But having coworkers and supervisors who are impatient, irritated, and frequently critical of your behavior is not likely to help you make positive changes. By contrast, feeling good about yourself and your accomplishments at work can give you the strength and motivation to work on problem areas more effectively.

Finding people who like and appreciate you is wonderful, but you also need to work toward creating an environment that is truly ADD-friendly. Reading Chapter 9, “An ADD-Friendly Environment” will help you recognize some of the factors to look for.

Advocate for Yourself at Work

Taking charge means advocating for yourself at work. Set a goal to become an expert on yourself in the workplace. While your employer can provide some accommodations, the responsibility for career success lies with you. Here are some guidelines to follow as you advocate for yourself:

Taking charge means understanding your legal rights.

• Carefully consider the pros and cons of disclosing your ADD.

• Carefully consider the pros and cons of taking legal steps to defend your rights at work.

• Consult an attorney when all other efforts have failed to produce workable results.

• Understand your responsibilities and the responsibilities of your employer under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Make ADD-Smart Career Choices

Taking charge means making ADD-smart career choices or changes. With the assistance of an ADD expert, learn as much as possible about your strengths, weaknesses, interests, special talents, and ADD needs. Then carefully consider all your options. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Can I make changes in me that will improve my current job?

• Can I make changes in my job that will improve my performance?

• Do I have the right career but the wrong job?

• Do I need to rethink my career?

Conclusion

You can create your own ADD success story by taking charge of your ADD.

Work toward developing a positive, proactive stance toward your work life:

Making the career choices and changes you want will take time and perseverance. You don’t need to do it all on your own, and you sshouldn’t try to do it all at once. By putting into action the steps outlined in this book, you can become your own ADD success story!