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5
Strategies for ADDed Effectiveness on
the Job |
by:
ADD
Coach Jennifer Koretsky |
For
many people with ADD, work life can be difficult.
If your working environment is not ADD-friendly,
then you may find yourself feeling chronically
disorganized and stressed out at work. Whether
or not you choose to share your diagnosis
with your employer, the following strategies
can help you become more effective at work.
1. Find a Career that You're Passionate
About
People with ADD have the most success when
doing something that they are passionately
interested in. If you are in a career or
a job that you're not passionate about,
chances are your ADD challenges will manifest
themselves. The best way to avoid this is
to find work that you truly enjoy and believe
in.
2. Develop Structure
It's no secret that ADDers work well with
structure. If your job lacks structure,
create some!
If you're self-employed, set up a schedule
for yourself. Determine what your working
days will be, and what your days off will
be. (And stick to them!) Also, schedule
specific working hours for yourself.
If you're employed by another person or
company, ask for specific deadlines on projects
you are assigned. Additionally, you can
request a weekly meeting with your manager
in which you update him or her on all the
things you have going on. This will allow
YOU to review your progress and stay aware
of all the tasks you're juggling.
3. Delegate the Details
I've never met an ADDer who enjoyed dealing
with details! Typically, people with ADD
are the problem-solvers, the creatives,
and the strategizers. Most ADDers will be
extremely effective when dealing with these
exciting and challenging aspects of the
job, and a lot less effective when dealing
with administrative work.
If you're self-employed, hire an assistant
- even if you think you can't afford it!
Imagine how much more effective - and profitable
- you could be if you didn't have to worry
about paperwork!
If you're employed by another person or
company, delegate work to administrative
assistants and anyone whom you manage. If
there is no one for you to delegate to,
explain to your manager that you work best
when you don't have to be bogged down with
administrative tasks. Point out all your
skills, strengths, and accomplishments.
Tell your manager that you could be contributing
even more if you had someone to help with
the details.
4. Plan the Time to Plan
It's not enough to plan your day, you must
also plan the time to plan! Before you leave
work at the end of the day, take 15 minutes
to look at your to do list. See what you
accomplished and what still needs to be
done, and update the list. Also use this
time to update your calendars, and break
up outstanding projects into steps. Taking
the time to do this every work day will
have you feeling more in control, and will
also help you transition out of work time
and into personal time.
5. Get Over Perfectionism
Perfectionism prevents progress. If you
find something that could be improved every
time you look at a paper or a report, it
will never get off your desk. There's a
big difference between "a good job" and
"a perfect job." "A good job" is work well
done; "a perfect job" doesn't exist! Nothing
in this world is perfect, so do yourself
a big favor and get over it!
About the Author
Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Management
Coach who helps adults learn how to manage
their ADD and move forward in life. She
offers individual and group coaching,
workshops, and skill-building programs.
Subscribe to Jennifer's free email newsletter,
The ADD Management Guide, by visiting
http://www.ADDmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm |
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