A Hunk of Useful Advice

By Dan Pryor

Unfortunately, the lazy days of summer are gone and the falling leaves summon another wave of new expectations as the fall quickly approaches. This time is challenging for everyone, particularly people with ADHD, as employers and schoolteachers expect increases in focus and productivity. The transition is even more difficult if you are one of many Americans who are unhappy in the workplace. Simply enter the keywords “job satisfaction” into Google and you’ll be amazed at the number of news stories reporting disturbingly high levels of job dissatisfaction. For example, The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index has been polling 1,000 adults every day since 2008 and concluded that Americans feel worse about their jobs in 2011 than ever before. “People of all ages, and across income levels, are unhappy with their supervisors, apathetic about their organizations and detached from what they do” (New York Times, 9/04/2011).

People with ADHD frequently have trouble staying on task unless the activity is highly interesting and engaging. A less-than-positive working environment won’t help the situation. What can you do when demands for focus and productivity rise? I suppose you could look for a job that is highly interesting and seductive, but given the current economy and job situation, that’s not always plausible. Let’s look at strategies that will make the job you have more interesting instead.

I call the first strategy “hunk and reward.” Divide your work into smaller segments or hunks. The length of these segments should vary depending upon your interest in the task and your normal attention span. As soon as you complete a hunk, reward yourself. Take a mini-break and give yourself a mental “pat on the back” with something you enjoy—a walk outside, a cup of coffee, a snack, a short visit with a colleague who perks you up, or briefly checking the latest news on your favorite website. The sky’s the limit — choose anything, as long as it feels like a reward; that is, it provides you with a bit of pleasure and gives you a little energy before tackling the next hunk of work.

The second strategy involves an attitude adjustment. Instead of falling into the same old negative thoughts, try to take a learning attitude toward your work, whatever it is. People who are learning while they work report significantly greater motivation and satisfaction with their work. Employees who learn from their work find it to be more meaningful. Research conducted by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer at the Harvard Business School found that the presence of meaningful work far out-ranked traditional incentives such as raises and bonuses in improving motivation. (New York Times, 9/04/2011) The more meaningful the work, the greater chance you can stay engaged on the task at hand. Instant productivity boost!

Finally, get support and feedback. Research shows that a manager who supports an employee’s accomplishments and effort reaps the benefits of increased employee productivity and focus as well as improved task outcomes. Unfortunately, according to Amabile and Kramer, 95% of managers don’t provide this sort of support. So if – as is likely – you are part of that 95%, what can you do about it? In the absence of manager support, workers can provide support and feedback to each other. While peer support may not have the same kind of impact as supervisory support, it’s a good place to start and goes a long way to providing a more enjoyable work environment.

Let’s “hunk up” the lessons we’ve covered. There are three strategies you can implement right now to improve your work environment, motivation, focus, and productivity at work, at school and at home: “hunk and reward”, learn a bit, and be generous with your feedback.

Dan Pryor is an adjunct Organizational Communication professor in the New College at Saint Edwards University in Austin, Texas.  He also consults and speaks on leadership development, learning, changing value systems clarifying personal calling.  Reach him at dan.pryor@pryorworks.com.