In the lead up to Unlocking ADHD’s next webinar, “Unlock your potential: Career Strategies for ADHDers”, taking place on Wed 27 March, 8-930pm SGT, we had a chat with ADHDer and Career Coach, Adrian Phang, one of our guest speakers to shed some light on his experience and the transformative impact he brings to the realm of ADHD informed career coaching.
Can you tell us about your background and experience in working with individuals with ADHD in the context of career development?
I have been a Career Coach with a Global Recruitment Coach for five years. Aside from coaching I am also Senior Consultant and Facilitator in Leadership Development, HR & Business Innovation. I also identify myself as an ADHDer, having been diagnosed with the condition slightly over two years ago.
I also actively volunteer with Unlocking ADHD to help others cope with the condition and to see patterns of my own behaviours in my interactions with fellow ADHDers. It is even more meaningful for me when I encounter coachees who are themselves ADHDers as they look towards the next stage of their careers.
What unique insights or strategies do you bring to the table that can benefit individuals with ADHD in their career journeys?
The main thing we need to address as ADHDers is to be able to honestly look at ourselves and identify the moments that make us successful and exceptional in our roles.
By reflecting, you will be able to find at least a few examples of such moments and identify what is common when you experience them. This may help you identify the strengths within you. Can you replicate these moments more often?
What are some common misconceptions about ADHD in the workplace, and how do you address them in your work?
ADHDers are often seen to be all over the place and disengaged. The biggest issue behind this is Executive Dysfunction, which is simply the inability to execute. The common underlying cause among ADHDers is the lack of self-awareness and self-inhibition. In other words, whatever shortcomings that are found among normal or neurotypical people are amplified with ADHDers.
This can manifest in the form of lack of organization, time management, going off-tangent in conversations, not meeting goals you set out to do for the day, etc. This may manifest into ADHDers getting themselves into hot-soup and asked to follow a Performance Improvement Plan.
Often, a very good solution is to find neurotypical buddies or accountability partners for ADHDers. One of the coachees I work with is a high performer at work. He did recognize that he had team members to keep him in check so that he doesn’t go off tangent from the work he is supposed to do. Once he is focused and aligned to his task, he outperforms his target outcomes constantly.
What do you hope attendees will take away from your presentation at the webinar?
Being an ADHD can be a strength and one should see it as a stepping stone for more opportunities ahead. However, ADHDers may need to take the less travelled paths such as entrepreneurship or creativity-design type roles. ADHDers’ mental abilities are often more pronounced than their ability to execute. They need to harness that capability. They need to define the moments where they are at their best and try to replicate it.
Can you provide a preview of some key topics or strategies you’ll be discussing during the webinar?
I’d like to talk about how ADHDers can take some time to discover themselves. For instance, how they show up in front of others and what hidden strengths they have within them that they have yet to discover.
Finally, why do you believe this webinar is important for individuals with ADHD who are navigating their careers, and what do you hope to achieve through your participation?
ADHDers need to take control of their lives and their careers. The more ADHDers lose control they fall into a continuous downward spiral which is very difficult to overcome as ADHD behaviours impact how others see them. Hence, as an ADHDer and having been through such experiences, it is about the need to consciously make that effort, albeit with the help of accountability partners.
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