ADHD: The Invisible Economic Strain In Our Workforce that you can change!

ADHD: The Invisible Economic Strain In Our Workforce that you can change!

Nov 8, 2022 | Career Coaching


In the current labor market, businesses are seeing a high rate of turnover and even ghosting in the workplace. It is a costly trend. Companies are seeing the value in shifting how they train their employees in order to retain them. It is far less expensive to invest in quality training while implementing a community mindset work culture that promotes retention than to continually train new employees. Also, a nurtured environment promotes employees’ self-worth, work engagement, and relationships with fellow colleagues. The result is better morale, work productivity, and lower employee turnover rates. 

In order for the efforts to be successful, it is important to understand what challenges this workforce faces and how to best meet their needs. This will ensure quality training for the companies that want to train and hire them.

The Rising Number of ADHD, The Invisible Disability

According to the NCES, approximately 20 million college students entered college in the fall of 2018. Of those, 19.4% self-reported having a disability. Of the students surveyed, 79% of the students who reported a disability listed ADHD, a neurologically based disorder, as their challenge. This number nearly doubled from 10 years ago.
The impact on the educational system has been tremendous and colleges across the U.S. have developed programs to meet the needs of these diverse students. 

As these students enter our workforce, it would be beneficial for us to help them transition with a foundational employee skillset. Often, these neurologically diverse groups need specific guidance and training that may be assumed and overlooked. This invisible disability flies under the radar and yet has a very impactful effect on job success. 

It is at this point that we can illuminate the challenges around ADHD and take a look at ways to help them manage it and capitalize on their strengths. For the ADHD employee, goals often seem to slip out of reach due to this under-managed and misunderstood condition. While no two people with the diagnoses are identical, there are common challenges associated with having an ADHD diagnosis.

Common challenges associated an ADHD diagnosis:


Prioritizing & Procrastination: The workload may become too burdensome if they do not have a clear hierarchal & strategic plan. Procrastination may set in.

Initiating and Completing Tasks: Tasks can be daunting and many distractions can derail them from starting and finishing them


Organizing: Without a priority system, often people do not know where to begin to organize their workspace.


Concentration: While an employee with ADHD can hyper-focus on something that is particularly interesting to them, it is difficult for them to concentrate on mundane work. It can feel overly boring to them and cause them to seek more gratifying interests breaking their ability to focus on what they KNOW they should be working on. ex: filing papers, etc.


Time Management: This may make them late for work or important events and fall behind on projects in the workplace. This happens even with the best of intentions to be on time.

Impulsive Behavior: Difficulty controlling anger and blurting thoughts without much filter that can come across as rude and insulting.


Following Directions: Since the ability to remember information may take several steps that require focus, following directions can be difficult.
 
These challenges can lead to behaviors that often derail careers, ambitions, and relationships. It is not uncommon for them to experience a high rate of job turnover, either because they choose to leave their job or their behavior leads them to be fired. This can have a lasting effect on a person diagnosed with ADHD. They may struggle with feeling shame and low-self esteem, and become discouraged in their ability to perform in any job.
Employers who gain an understanding of this disability can take action steps to help the workflow and dynamics of their employees. Implementation of successful programs can promote positive workplace connections, contribute to positive employee work attitude, and increase employee retention and performance for all employees thus leading to the potential for big payoffs as well as reduced hiring costs for the company. 

Michelle Raz, is a career specialist & coach, owner of Razcoaching.com, author of Happiness+Passion+Purpose and Co-founder of Thrivister.com, an academic coaching company for high school and college students. As a Board-Certified Coach, she uses her expertise with executive functioning challenges to help people find their purpose and success in the workplace through the lens of ADHD. She has been contributing her knowledge and expertise in this field since 2010.

Disrupt Your Career with This Course

Disrupt Your Career with This Course

Sep 8, 2020 | Video Podcast

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What is Career Exploration Webinar Course about?

This Disrupt Your Career Exploration Webinar course concentrates on looking into one’s strength, interests, personality, aptitude and creating strategies to overcome any obstacles related to executive functioning deficits that may keep one from pursuing their dreams in a particular career.

How can this class help me?

If you are struggling with deciding what career is best for you or how to incorporate your best strengths into a career, this will help you to reach your own potential in a given career.

Who is this class geared toward?

This is course is best for a college student or recent graduate. High school students who are looking at which major to declare will find this beneficial as well.

What types of things will I be working on?

  • Career Development and early career dreams and interest
  • Skills, accomplishment and aptitude
  • How personality traits factor into career choices
  • Prioritizing work and leisure values
  • Personal challenges and possibilities to overcome them

Is this class for graduating seniors in high school or younger?

Yes, if they are contemplating which major to pursue or career path

Is this class for students in college?

Yes, this is an excellent course to identify your strengths, interests and pathway to your dream career. Or make sure you are on the right track and what steps to take next.

What about adults taking this class who are in the workplace?

This would be a good course for adults who are feeling that they may need a change of career to redefine themselves or find a new passion that better aligns with their interests, skills and lifestyle. We will be offering a class geared towards this type of client in the near future.

DON’T MISS THE ONE COURSE THAT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Disrupt Your Career

Learn MORE HERE:

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Help! I have ADHD and I can’t work from home

Aug 18, 2020 | Audio Podcast

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Help! I have ADHD and I can’t work from home

Talk about change, this pandemic has made a huge impact on how the world works, thinks and lives. Working from home has become a part of the new normal. During these challenging and uncertain times, almost all businesses large and small has made a transition to work remotely. Having objectives that would be beneficial for both the company and the employee, aiming to protect the people and to keep the business up and running. While it is mandatory to adapt to big changes like this, people with ADHD tend to think that they cannot work from home.

The reality is, you can!

In this episode I share some of the tips on how to start working from home.

First and golden rule: Do not check your emails before your start to work

Staying and working at home has become a challenge for everybody but it will become easier when you finally found the proper ways and strategies that goes along with it. It may be hard but it is not always a challenge. The best attribute that can help you is to be creative and think of what can help you achieve and deliver work in no time.

For all our friends with ADHD, everyday can be tough but look at it as an opportunity to be better, to be more productive and to be more creative than yesterday. The tips above are just some of the guidelines that will help you overcome the thinking “I can’t work from home” because, you can!

Let me know your concerns on this matter, go ahead and Ask Raz! for personal feedback, just click the link: https://www.razcoaching.com/ask_raz/

If you have anything to share please feel free to reach out to me at www.razcoaching.com  or www. coachingacademics.com. michelle@razcoaching.com Or follow my www.Instagram.com/razcoaching. I do daily mini blogs with tips of inspiration.  There’s something in there for you that can help you with your focus for the day.

10 Myths about choosing a career debunked

10 Myths about choosing a career debunked

Apr 23, 2020 | Career Coaching

10 Myths Debunked and your Negative Beliefs

Many beliefs can limit yourself in pursuing your career or lead you down a career path that is not a good match for you.  It is important to know yourself and the type of career you are considering and the requirements you need to be successful in the career.  You could get headed in the wrong direction for years if you hold onto some of these beliefs that do not match up with your personal characteristics, interests and dream.

10 Myths about choosing a career debunked

1.  All people who are good at music make successful musicians.

The problem with this kind of statement is that it leaves out many details it takes to be a musician.  There are skills needed to be successful.  As well as knowing how to play music, there is a commitment to practice or interpersonal skills to help promote the music and financial components for budgeting.

2.  All people who learn differently (LD) should go to vocational training programs

People who learn differently and have a strong support system, have gone on to have great careers as in business, science and entertainment industry. There is a learned gift developed by having to navigate life when you have a learning difference. It is the tenacity to work through problems, rebound from failure and celebrate the smaller step successes as they learn patience.   If the passion and desire to work toward the career goal is there, you can reach it.

3. All people with ADHD are creative and should own businesses.

While creativity is a hallmark trait used to describe people with ADHD, it doesn’t mean they have the operation skills to own a business.  The skills it takes to own a business include time management, long-range thinking, financial discipline, interpersonal skills and more.  It takes a lot of hard work and knowing when to pull in help through resources to run a successful business.

4. All people with good grades become top professionals

People that inherently get good grades and don’t have to work hard in school may not have developed adequate coping skills needed to deal with the stress and obstacles. It can hinder themselves in striving for high professional success levels.

5. All people who are good with people should go into sales.

Excellent interpersonal skills are needed in the sales industry as well as a tough as nail attitude for rejection and failure.  If you are sensitive to rejection and struggle to motivate after a letdown, then sales can be a challenging field for you.

6.  All people who make career changes later in life are discriminated against.

People may fear what others may perceive with a late in life career change, but could they be curious and even envious?  YOU can be the trailblazer to model how it can be done for others.  Your perception may be at play in a situation like this.

7.  All people with good educational backgrounds do well in careers.

Education is just a piece of the puzzle that makes up what it takes to do well in a given career.   Education is another way to get an edge on your career, but the other factors are equally important.

8.  All people with special challenges can expect to achieve less in their lifetimes.

This is a great myth to bust as we can go through the list of people with challenges that have contributed enormously to our society.  Hellen Keller, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Keanue Reeves, just to name a few.

9.  All people who made career choice mistakes should start over

This is the time to pull together the lessons learned and see how it may apply to something within their career choice.  Within a career field, there are many options.  For example, If your dream was to be an actor because you love the creative aspect of films but found that you do not like the stress of memorizing lines,  look at closely related field within the film industry such as production management or scene development or  coaching.

10.  All people have one true career destiny.

It is unusual to find someone who has stayed within one career their whole life these days.  People have many options to work from home and this has opened up options for people to investigate free-lance fields that bring a variety of work options and paths to consider.  As we go through life, your needs and interests change.  Our society is accepting of new ways to employ people and judge their performance wherever they are based.  This lends itself to allowing people the freedom to pursue dreams that may not have been thought possible in the past.

Go for your potential in life!

by debunking these 10 Myths about choosing a career

There are many opinions out there for every statement made regarding a career path one might choose.  Do not limit your potential in life by believing everything at face value.  Look at the counter-argument like I did in the above scenarios. This type of critical response is a process to get in touch with your true inner beliefs.

If you have an interest and desire for a career path and see a personal limitation that would keep you from being successful, I encourage to go through the exercises of debunking the thought with an alternative view.  This could be the first step in gaining the courage to face a challenge with the attitude of how can I navigate in this career field WITH my limitation?  Is this an area I can work on to improve or do I need to find a modification or accommodation to be successful.  Turn to techniques that bringer you closer to realizing the dream career such visualization or enlisting someone that can help you develop strategies in your weaknesses.

Your determination and consistent pursuit of the career can happen.

One of the earliest documented stories that I am aware of dates back to the 1960s.  This was a period where people with disabilities where looked upon as defects and often hidden from the public by families out of shame and fear. Christy Brown, artist and author,     fought every day for something and struggled with his inner critic to motivate and persevere. He began his passion for painting and writing to escape his burden of daily living and earned enough from his work to earn a living.

His first published book was translated into 5 languages writing it on a typewriter using only his left toes. In the first chapter of the book, My Left Foot, Brown describes how he could not be truly happy in life if he viewed himself simply as a cripple.  He wanted more and created ways to make his dreams into realities despite not have arms not being able to walk.

He shattered these 10 Myths about choosing a career!

He says in a 1962 interview that it was when he was able to accept himself for who he was combined with the immense support of his family, that he was able to succeed in life.  He offers advice to other people with disabilities that, with the right support, you can overcome any challenge.  As he says, we all have challenges.  Perhaps it is simply a mindset that sets apart this remarkable early example of overcoming tremendous difficulties to reach a fulfilling career and life.

Christy Brown’s accomplishment included artists, internationally best selling author and poet.  This example of overcoming odds, fear, having courage and face stigmas and myth of people with disabilities in Dublin, Ireland, is quite remarkable at a time when people commonly institutionalized anyone with mental or physical disabilities. His life story may have set a precedent in other countries to shift their limiting beliefs of the capacity of people with disabilities as a collective force.  He is one of the first inspirations for any suffering with any type of challenge.

10 Myths about choosing a career debunked!

If you have anything to share please feel free to reach out to me at www.razcoaching.com  or www. coachingacademics.com. michelle@razcoaching.com Or follow my www.Instagram.com/razcoaching. I do daily mini blogs with tips of inspiration. I post almost every day.  There’s something in there for you that can help you with your focus for the day.

Your Career Blueprint

Your Career Blueprint

Mar 6, 2020 | Career Coaching

Your Career Blueprint Begins With Your Passion and Purpose

Passion and Purpose is The  Key To Building A Resume And Career Path

Live by your purpose and you will create an inner drive and passion to culminate  a life and career path uniquely yours….One that brings out the best version of yourself.

Over 50 percent of the current American workforce are unsatisfied with their current employment and career choice. Considering how many hours people spend at work, it would be a good idea to be among the other 50 percent who enjoy what they do for a living!

Choosing a career path that ignites your purpose and passion in life does not only lead to a higher level of success and satisfaction but fulfillment at work, research also suggests that it promotes long term happiness, and good health.

But for someone with ADHD this may be a daunting and  overwhelming task. 

Many find it easy to discover their mistakes and not their strengths, they may lack confidence in what they can and cannot do with all the struggles and challenges throughout their lives.   By breaking down the components that go into choosing a career and taking a deep look at how successes and personal struggles could serve as a tool for identifying some hidden talents, interests and skills, you can ignite your career path.

This is achievable when you follow a systematic approach to unearth your unique career that works just right for you.  Consider it a blueprint to your personal career path.

 Develop a blueprint that is authentically yours

A career blueprint  for your life will help to create a strong foundation and structure for career happiness.  You can compare it to building your dream house.  Would you build a house without a well thought out set of blueprints?   You might be able to pull it off but how stable would it be for future additions? You would want to put a lot of thought and time into making sure it was right for you. The structure of the house will determine how well you live your life and the problems you may encounter with it.  A well designed set of blueprints takes time, energy and passion.   It is key to apply this same process to finding a career meant just for you.

Without a career blueprint plan, it is difficult to think through possibilities of how your life experiences connect to your goals and how your career could adapt and grow with you over time.

Joe is a good example of someone who benefited from this process.  He was a college student who lacked a solid career plan.  He was taking classes to satisfy general requirements but did not know where to specialize his interests.  After going through this process, he found that his true passion and purpose was not in the engineering program he had originally thought was his path.   He has able to identify key elements that were important to him in a career and incorporated that into what he naturally was good at in college.  The great part was that it stayed within the engineering department, but shifted to a more environmental focus.  It took into account his desire for travel, continual learning and humanitarian efforts.  He was able to design a career blueprint to best set him up for success in this field with strategic action plans and milestones.

Some people may think it is too late in their career to start the blueprint. They may be burned out of their chosen career but feel they are too old and tired to recreate their life purpose.

It is never too late to start  creating a blueprint for your life!

And you don’t need to start from ground zero. Through this process, you can see connections that will propel you into your new career direction with your personal history, experiences and narrative.  Mary was able to rediscover her life’s passion and purpose by using this strategic process.

Mary was a marketing professional who loved her chosen career path.  She had felt  passion and purpose and never questioned her choices until she left the workforce for 20 years to raise her children.   Now an empty nester, she  was looking to redefine her life purpose and re-enter the workforce without spending years retraining to gain new skill sets.  She dug in deep to look at her blueprint she had created and found that her life experiences as a mom brought new skills, interests and passion.  She was able to find purpose and passion with her experiences that complimented her original career blueprint path where she was making over six figures. In fact, she ended up feeling MORE marketable as she made connections in her current life situation to her previous career experience that were very insightful.

The key to finding a career that gets your passion and purpose burning is to look at your life’s What, Why and How.

The What of the Blueprint

WHAT you want out of life such as  interests, values, and  personality factor into this equation.  You might even find that some of your desires were written by you at a young age. It may be a childhood dream that was imprinted into your mind when you did not have any distractions or life barriers creating doubts that could serve you in choosing the right career path.

Go through these questions and answer them.  Writing them down in a journal will help you see a pattern of your wants.

  •       What brings you joy?

    It is very important to take time in finding out who you are, ask yourself some important questions.  What makes me unique? There may be a special strength in your uniqueness. What are my values and beliefs? What are my fears?  Self-knowledge is a key step in designing a career path that works for you.

  •       What motivates and energizes you most?

    Another key factor in determining your career path in life is knowing what gets you motivated.  Anything that gets you motivated and keeps you energized is capable of sustaining you through the mundane or tough times in a career.

  •       What are you biggest interests?

    Knowing your interest is also very important while developing a career path. Your area of interest would be where your career is focused on. You might even find that some of your yearnings and fears were not written by you and don’t suit you now.

  •       Is there a major challenge you want to tackle in your life or career that is important to you?

    For instance, If you knew you only had one year to live, what would you want to do during this time?

 

You can start to identify a life pattern that will point you in the direction of a career blueprint meant just for you by answering these questions. This  will align with your plans and purpose in life as the foundation.

The Why of  your blueprint plan deepens your connection of what it is you want.   Taking a look at your unique WHY or Inner Narrative is a good place to start.  What is the voice inside your head telling you?

Why are you the way you are?

Desires, beliefs, values, and fears don’t materialize out of nowhere. Your values and personality are shaped during our lives in several ways.  They’re either developed over time by our internal consciousness or as observations made during our  life experiences. The key here is to identify the why and know yourself and how it factors into your career path.

Designing a career blueprint for you by taking proactive steps geared with this self-knowledge of who you are and what your wants are makes your career journey of planning and decision making solid and stream-lined.

The How to pull it together for your career blueprint plan

Now is the time to connect the dots and see the patterns emerge.  Identify career paths that fit into this using resources available to you.

Once you have a good understanding of your true authentic self of what you want and why you want it, create the career path.   Unpack the  box of expectations that you grew up with and make connections  between, values,  personality, strengths,  and start to identify paths that will relate to your personal dreams and goals.   Your career blueprint plan will start to take form and give you clarity and a vision that you can follow.

And for the skeptics

Yeah sure, things could change, and you may need to modify the plans over the years, but with a solid blueprint, the changes can be handled and accommodated and add value and character to your original plan as it did for Mary.

Your career path is a path that does not need to be a straight path.  This thought can leave people feeling panicked when they want to adapt or change their plan.  The career stakes become so high and feel unattainable which can leave people feeling stuck and confused.   It does not have to be this way.

Gone are the days of people choosing one career and never veering off from that path.

People are creating more of a portfolio of jobs that lead to a series of careers.  This can be exciting for someone that has a developed blueprint career path that takes into consideration all the elements to a passionate and purposeful career.  The path can have many elements to it that spur off the main course but contribute to the overall career goal.  Now more than ever a career path can have many twists and turns that lead to success, fulfillment and purpose.

Consider these point  in designing a career blueprint plan:

  •       Make meaningful connections in life experiences: self knowledge
  •       Investigate interests, skills, aptitudes, accomplishments, and challenges
  •       Identify patterns between, values, personality, strengths, and how it relates to career dreams and goals
  •       Build a vision board of what you want your career to look like
  •       Answer some self reflection questions: Is it truly your plan?
  •       Incorporate opportunities for growth and learning in your career

 

Take note of all the points listed above. Turn them into a manifesto.   When you feel overwhelmed and distracted from your purpose, go back to this statement as a guiding light in your career journey.

Build a career path that ignites your passion and purpose and never second guess your career choice.

This post is from the fall issue of Attention Magazine by Michelle Raz.