How to Work with Someone who has ADD

Have you ever wondered if someone you work with has ADD? There are a lot of symptoms that can be confusing to deal with, especially today, when we are all trying to multi-task in an interactive stress-filled world. Still, if you don't know what to watch out for, you may be setting yourself up for some unfortunate problems. Understanding how ADD works will help you avoid complications, misunderstandings, and consequences. Find out what the simple solutions can be. First, realize that ADD is a physical brain condition! A lot of people think that ADD is caused by bad parenting, and persisting because of bad, willful children and adults. A popular misconception is that the condition disappears after adolescence. Basically, in layman’s language, ADD symptoms have two primary causes--genetics and brain chemical deficiencies (we prefer "differences") involving serotonin, GABA, Dopamine, and D-Lphenylanine levels in several brain areas. At a minimum, the condition affects movement, self-regulation, and executive functioning. It also affects moods and feelings. There is a good symptom for every "bad" one. Let's take a look at the good things that an ADD person brings to the table. Read on to learn a new way to look at things with a more positive ADD view in mind.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Focus on the Good Things!

1. Even though sustaining attention can sometimes be difficult, all ADD people report times of “hyper-focus," especially when things are interesting. This is especially true when interactive or hands-on activities are the order of the day. It can look like obsession and compulsion, spending hours immersed without a thought to anything or anyone else. When they’re “in the zone,” their single-minded ability to hyperfocus can lead to significant accomplishments, discoveries, and creative breakthroughs.
2. High IQ--ADD people are 80% more likely to have IQ's over 130. Share your problems and your difficulties with them, and they'll be able to help solve things. They're also usually great at puzzles; so long as you leave them alone to solve them.
3. Complex Thought Patterns & Big Picture Thinkers--You see a lot of thoughts and dialog that wander around in all different directions, and usually, half way through, you no longer know what the subject was about. They see an intricate picture that is rich in inter-relationships and experiences, often built from dreams and clever contrivance. ADD people are usually great at gauging how pieces fit together in complex projects and scenarios.
4. Adventurous, courageous, lives outside of boundaries--If you're looking for adventure, take along someone with ADD! Likewise, if there's a job to be done and the outlook is daunting, an ADD person will be the right motivator and support to bring along.
5. Always willing to help others--Perhaps it’s a genetic trait. There is evidence that ADD traits once were beneficial to humans in hunter/gatherer societies. Careful--while they're helping, they're not focusing on what they should be doing. But if someone needs help, they're likely to be one of the best people to offer a hand. This is a tricky one--the dopamine deficient ADD brain also doesn't allow praise to have a lasting effect, so make sure your thanks are personal and the recognition for their help is noted.
6. Creative, Artistic, Intuitive--This one is self explanatory. ADD people are typically the creators, the innovators, and the ones that follow their star. They are the dissenters if things aren't fitting together in their own minds, or they are the energizers when something new or different is called for. Just make sure there are others around to manage the details and the rules.
7. Great at High-Tech Jobs! ADD and high-tech go well together! Hyper-focus is easy to attain when the ADD brain is allowed to adopt cyber-space as a playground. The constantly changing landscape of high-tech industries was practically made for (and by!) people with ADD. Is it any wonder that some 70%-80% of the world's leading tech companies are or were started by people with ADD and other associated spectrum learning disabilities?
8. Constantly evolving--ADD folks just love to learn and be exposed to new things. They'll try to incorporate what they've gained into their current work. Be sure not to introduce new things on a deadline--they'll need to have time to study and check things out, and it will distract them away from any time constraints you need. You may also want to have someone go over the last minute edits to make sure details are covered, and a cohesive end result is attained.
9. Creates connections easily--ADD people are hunters. When you're on a hunt, you have to be able to add all the trail signs up to successfully trap your prey. Making connections between things is one of their natural talents. If you have a lot of un-cohesive work that needs to be brought together, put an ADD person in charge of pulling it all together.
10. Goal-oriented--Sometimes the ADD person's goal is different than anyone else's. But once the battle-cry is on, there's no one like an ADD person to get everyone working toward the goal. When you make sure the ADD people are all on the same goal track before starting, you should make your objectives with style.
11. Entrepreneurial--They may spend more time complaining about being locked into a job that isn't entrepreneurial. They will definitely be the first to complain when the boss or the company are holding them back. But, ADD people make up almost 80% of the world's successful entrepreneurs and innovators. They love loose structure and lots of free rein, with lots of supporting experts around them to do what they all do well. Give them what they need to accomplish amazing, dynamic, high-density things!
12. High energy--They will have trouble sitting still to complete work. Their commotion, movement, and noise are likely to distract everyone else. But if you're looking to energize and evangelize your co-workers, put the ADD folks in charge of being the project promoters and subject matter experts.

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