The ADHD tendency to sprint marathons
Building workplace cultures that appreciate and nurture ADHDers' speedy brains.
The gist of this post is:
ADHDers tend to have periods of hyperfocus where they can concentrate intensely on work or interests.
This tendency to work in intense sprints can clash with workplace norms if there is an underlying expectation that work should progress steadily.
The risk of this mismatch is that ADHDers can push themselves too hard to conform to expectations of working at a steady pace and burn themselves out.
A potential solution is introducing more flexibility in where and when the work is done, combined with clearly articulated expectations, milestones, and outcomes.
I wanted to write about this topic because it’s relevant for a lot of ADHDers, and is very timely for me personally. It's a small part of a wider topic that is really important for me: crafting inclusive workplace cultures that appreciate the strengths of different neurotypes.
This article focuses on ADHD because it’s based heavily on my personal experience, but the suggestions for creating a more inclusive workplace are for everyone.
Ferrari engines with bicycle brakes
Dr Ned Hallowell, an ADHD expert, says that ADHD brains have Ferrari engines with brakes of a bicycle. That is, they're very speedy, but have challenges inhibiting incoming stimuli and outgoing impulses, leading to distractability and impulsivity.
A lot of ADHD features come with upsides and downsides, which is why they are referred to as both superpowers and challenges (see my post: Ways of talking about neurodiversity).
One of these features is the ability to hyperfocus. That's when we can concentrate intensely on a particular interest or project, tuning out distractions or other stimuli. ADHDers can get huge amounts done during these times. However, we can’t always summon this ability at will, and it’s not possible to maintain this intense concentration consistently. During periods of hyperfocus, we may also ignore our own bodies’ needs for rest
If an ADHDer can deploy their hyperfocus toward work projects, this might look like a huge rush of productivity. The trick is not to expect sprinting on an ongoing basis. To take advantage of ADHD hyperfocus at work, there need to be periods of downtime for recovery.
For me, a period of intense focus and productivity is often followed by a time when it’s more difficult to focus. It’s like the volume of my ADHD-ness is turned up - I like the highly unscientific term “potato brain” which has also been used as a metaphor for depression. I’ve learned (the hard way) that if I can spot it, I can slow down and let my speedy brain recharge for the next intense sprint. In the past when I haven’t noticed in time, my body has found ways of applying the brakes in highly inconvenient ways, like getting sick.
This morning, my brain was feeling pretty potato-ey after an intense weekend involving an unwell child and other unavoidable commitments. On these days I try to lower my expectations of myself. After a few hours of going at a slower pace, I can often tick off a few small tasks and start feeling a bit less scattered. If I try to power through the day, my overall productivity will be lower.
Some flowers I spotted on my potato-brain walk this morning.
Toyota Corolla workplaces
Many workplaces are designed for consistent effort at a steady pace, like a reliable Toyota Corolla. This shows up in so many ways, such as:
the 9am-5pm 40-hour working week
measuring effort by the number of hours spent at work
requiring regular progress reports
weekly project meetings
requiring reviews of early drafts, and more.
It’s understandable that workplaces are set up with a one-size-fits-all approach because that’s the simplest way to organise things. However, this isn’t necessarily going to work for everyone, and there might not be a need for a rigidly consistent approach.
How can we start building workplaces that support different types of brains, including those that like to work in sprints?
Two areas shine through strongly for me in Dr. Ludmila Praslova’s excellent book The Canary Code: focussing on outcomes when measuring success, and designing workplaces to provide greater flexibility for everyone. Research on the experiences of ADHDers at work has also highlighted the importance of flexibility and the ability to determine workplace conditions (see articles in the Sources and Further Reading section below).
Focussing on outcomes to enable greater flexibility
For those with Ferrari engine brains and bicycle brakes, here are some suggestions for tailoring your work rhythms to better match your natural working style:
Work with your manager to define clear deliverables and outcomes to measure your success.
Identify the resources, tools, and support you’ll need.
Explore possibilities for flexible working hours and location to match your preferences.
Communicate progress regularly and signal any issues or delivery risks early.
For managers and leaders:
Identify the milestones, outcomes, and time frames of the task or project. This may require extra effort at the start of the project or task. Brainstorm the project steps and resources with your team.
Co-design the frequency and format of project check-ins and review steps with your team.
Explore possibilities for flexible working hours and location to match your team’s preferences.
Measure success by the quality of deliverables and outcomes, rather than measures of activity or attendance (such as hours spent at work).
Sources and further reading
Articles in ADDitude magazine:
Hyperfocus: The ADHD Phenomenon of Hyper Fixation by Royce Flippin
Your Brain Is a Ferrari by Dr. Edward Hallowell
Book:
The Canary Code by Dr. Ludmila Praslova
Journal articles:
Högstedt, E., Igelström, K., Korhonen, L., Käcker, P., Marteinsdottir, I., & Björk, M. (2022). ‘It’s like it is designed to keep me stressed’—Working sustainably with ADHD or autism. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 30(8), 1280–1291. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2022.2143420
Rowe, K. J., Bailey, S., Teague, B., Mattless, K., & Notley, C. (2021). A phenomenological inquiry into the lived experience of adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) employed by the NHS. Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 25(2), 159-170.