PLEASE HELP - Communication at Work

ill confess:

my bach is in CMM, PR & organization CMM

CMM studies have proved very productive for me as I am a contractor all media & advertising is produced in house, 14% response rate -

i was just poking fun at CMM

Believe it or not, Speach Communication is not an easy major.

It involves psychology, sociology, interpersonal communication, multiculturalism, and Speech and Debate.  There is a ton of research and a plethora of projects that you have to make darn sure you are organized for so that you can do the work required.  The next time you think its so easy.. Let me give you a topic, you have 2 minutes to prepare a 10 minute speech... aaaannnnnnnddddd GO!

I have learned more about life, people, and myself from a speach communication degree. Believe me, it is much more involved than what  you seem to imply.

BTW, my communication degree required me to take College Algebra, Statistics and 2 semesters of biology.  I would say that was a bit more involved than the "practical training" you have suggested.

Please don't take this wrong -- I felt the need to clarify.. I have been told so often how stupid, lazy, I am and then  I view a post that puts down all the hard work I put into  my college degree.   It takes brains to complete  a communication degree, yes it works great for ADD'ers too. Because you definitely have to think "outside" the box.. The logical people couldnt do it.

SHerry

jamiemarie,

I think that is an interesting topic of study. Here are my thoughts:

What are some of the challenges facing adults with ADD in the workplace?

Meeting deadlines, Organization, Reading appropriate social cues.

How does having adult ADD affect your ability to communicate effectively?

I over explain things, people get bored with my long stories. I know that my thoughts kinda go off on tangents so i feel the need to explain myself to others.. I can read the social cues ( looking at the watch, looking around the room, etc..) but I just keep on talking. I OVER communicate which makes me actually end up closing myself off more in the workplace so that I won't have to explain things to others quite so much.

How does adult ADD affect communication in the workplace?

I may be told something, but if it is not written down, I will not remember. There are things that I have not done when someone has asked me to do it. Or there are times when there has been a schedule change and I didnt' hear about it. Self doubt comes into play, because I don't know if I didn't hear them, or if they actually did not tell me about a change in plans.

People go between being amused at me, because of my ADD, or totally frustrated with me: because "darn it, I TOLD you last week we were doing this!)

Ideally, what could be done by employers in general to acknowledge, accommodate, and/or support adults with ADD?

When sharing information verbally, an employer should reinforce the information in written form.. preferably by email so that it doesnt get lost in paper stacks!

A positive working environment goes a long way with me.. If I hear a verbal pat on the back once in a while, it really helps me keep going.

If there is some kind of structure to the work environment, it helps me also, others might work better with less structure.. but for me, I know that I have to turn in my lesson plans every week.. that accountablity actually helps keep me on track. I might add that the reason I like this too, is that my boss has said that it is not to judge or look at what we are teaching, but it is for his benefit so that when he does his required walkthroughs, he knows exactly what is going on and the purpose of the lesson.
What could be done by employees with ADD to better cope with the challenges that they face in the work place?

above all, make sure you are under appropriate treatment - don't ignore your ADD, try to use your gifts to the best of your ability so that the liabilities pale in comparison.  Sometimes it may require psychological or medical interventions to help bring out those gifts, but they are there, and every ADDer needs to know and understand that.

Post it notes are my best friends!! They are everywhere at home, at work, and even in my car!!

Projects broken down into smaller chunks, checklists, and also finding an "office buddy" to ask questions to .  ( Example: What day is it that we are supposed to ______.) Preferably it needs to be someone with loads of patience!

Do you think that adult ADD affects the hiring decisions of potential employers?

I think it may. I don't think I would be offering the information up front.

What makes a job ADD-friendly?

Flex time

Ability to use creativity, and think outside the box so to speak.

Clear expectations

a job that is of interest to the ADDer ( if the job does not capture my interest, I will end up being bored and unhappy, then eventually quit.)

These are all the things that I can think of at this point, if you would like to talk further, you can PM me

The button is on the bottom of the message.

Sherry

My Response:

What are some of the challenges facing adults with ADD in the workplace?

   Working with others that do not have all excitement, committment and the vision those with ADD have:-)

How does having adult ADD affect your ability to communicate effectively?

   I tend to lead and really stress my points of view 
How does adult ADD affect communication in the workplace?

    I tend to get very involved and committed and react with extreme at times
Ideally, what could be done by employers in general to acknowledge, accommodate, and/or support adults with ADD?

    Just treat me like everyone else and allow me to grow in the areas that I know I can excel. It is not a handicap but a gift if you can use it right. I have others around me that fill gaps I am not good at but don't we all do that anyways? 

What could be done by employees with ADD to better cope with the challenges that they face in the work place?

    Employees need to do those jobs that require the skillset and structure an ADD person will excel in. Again, isn't that what should be done for everyone?

Do you think that adult ADD affects the hiring decisions of potential employers?

   EquaL Opportunity - can not discriminate but again I would not offer that info up front also - but I am very open about it at my current job

What makes a job ADD-friendly?

  I work for a very very large bank. I work for them they do not work for me. They pay me a large sum to do a job so, making a job ADD friendly is up to the individual. I would hate to see this be a handicap...It is a gift to have the freedom and vision and life I do...

THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO

1. GET A BIG KEY CHAIN

2. GARBAGE PAIL

3. BROOM

sweep the hallways between classrooms take out trash.....

NOW YOU HAVE PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR A COMMUNICATION MAJOR!!!!!!!

bet you have ADD & took COMM to avoid math & science