I think I'm in pretty much the same situation as your employee.  I've just been diagnosed ADHD in the last few months and I can tell you that its a both a jolt to the system and the answer to a question I didn't know I was asking.  I haven't disclosed to my manager since I doubt she would be as willing to change her style as you seem to be. 

In my world, I operate best when my manager gives clear goals and expectations.  Some employees can be very annoyed with being given a to-do list, but it helps me to organize and prioritize, especially if there are firm dates attached.  Giving a good timeline on bigger/longer projects helps a lot, too.  Having a one-hour check-in meeting with the employee every week helps you to keep them on track and helps them to keep organized. 

The ADD brain has a tendency to come up with random, out-of-the box ideas.  Anytime you have brainstorming to do, involve him.  Letting the employee partner up with someone that has complementary skills may help everyone.  From what I've learned and experienced myself, ADDers are notoriously self-concious and we've been taught (mostly from teachers, parents, and bosses) to always feel like we aren't trying hard enough.  Acknowledge effort more than results when possible. 

And this may sound silly, but try to understand that just because he isn't making eye contact while you're talking to him doesn't mean that he isn't paying attention.  If he seems to be fidgeting (moving around, doodling, messing with his pencil, etc), that's the way of letting the overflow get out of our brain so that our ears work.  If you're going to be in a group setting, see what he'd think about having a code signal for when you think his behavior might be a little much for the situation.  Most of the time we don't notice the fidgetting, but others do.  With a soft reminder, he would be more likely to at least reduce the most obvious behaviors.

B. Irizarry

12/ 8/08 10:47am

Great advice. I have two employees with ADHD and appreciate having your point of view. Thanks.

As an employee with ADD, my current supervisor has been very effective in managing, as well as, helping me be successful in my current position. She remains calm and patient when having to supervise me while working. By being patient, she makes me feel, without ever saying a word, that she wants to help me succeed, she never make me feel worse the I already feel about what I just did, now, thats doesnt mean she likes everthing I do and she'll tell me so. She is aware my condition and she is very accomadating in regards to where I feel most comfortable sitting or who I sit near.I am very fortunate to work under her supervision. Most of all try not to make your employee feel "stupid" or "moronic" when they make what seems to be a careless mistake, because believe me, in most cases he or she already feels that way about themselfs. In return, I give it all that I have while in work and focus on finishing what I start to the best of my ability. In the manner she expects

LadyBug

9/ 9/10 8:50am

???

A friend of mine has employee who is ADHD and ask If I could find info. on how to help him fill out Work Order Forms. He can't seem to get them filled out. Some work orders are never turned in and the ones that are have vital info. missing. 

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Supervisor coping with ADHD employee

9/10/10 7:58am

If the employee is having trouble completing tasks such as a work order form that sounds like it has a protocol for being filled out, I would suggest sitting down with the employee to create a detailed checklist for him and print out multiple copies.  That way for each work order he can literally check off each step and ensure all sections are filled out appropriately.  Similarly, if he's missing work orders, if possible, also give him a list of the outstanding work order forms so he can check those off as well to ensure he's not missing a work order completely.  Hope this helps!

LadyBug

9/10/10 9:23am

The friend that is having this problem...wrote a book about it, sorry  :)

 

I have given him a list of things I expect from him. Normal things that anyone doing his job would automatically do, but he forgets. I tell him to check his list everyday. I have also printed up a simplified invoice with a line for each item required and told him to fill it out for each job, before he leaves the job. I've told him this everyday for almost 2  years and he still won't do it. I've told him if he fills out his tickets everyday, properly, for 1 week straight, i would give him a $1.00/hr raise….still no good. So I told him the only choice I  have left is to either hire a helper to remind him to do his paper work every job and to keep him from leaving his tools behind (he's lost 3 expensive multi-meters (testers) in the last year), which I can't afford;  or give his job to one of the other guys and basically make him a helper where he just shows up, does what he's told, and goes home. No responsibility, no paper work, no nagging him to keep the truck clean, and no more fighting to get him to do his job.

 

He's a good electrician, the customers love him (I call him Eddie Haskell) . He really likes doing all the service work and dreads becoming a helper for one of the other guys, but I have too much to do with running the business to worry about him not giving me invoices and forgetting to list all the material etc. I told him I am not going to lose this battle. Sometimes I'll realize I haven't gotten an invoice for a job he did over a week ago. I can't continue to have to micro-manage his job for him to make sure I get the paper work I need to bill out the jobs properly.

I can't call him all day and remind him to list the material, fill out the hours, the date, the address, the peoples name when he's doing 4 or 5 service calls a day. When he does hand in a ticket he's usually left off the hours, or the date, or the address…something to make me have to waste time trying to get the invoice filled out. It's almost like he sub-conciously wants to piss me off. It is really exasperating cause he's a good guy and I have to believe he's doing the best he can, but really….how can someone forget the same thing day after day after day after day after day after day? Especially when as soon as he gets back to the house he has to hand the tickets in?  

I don't yell at him or belittle him, but I did tell him I just couldn't keep dealing with this issue and maybe he just wasn't cut out to run a service truck because of his inability to remember to fill out job tickets and it would be doing us both a favor to take away the responsibility and just let him be a worker. Gave him 2 weeks to remember to fill the job tickets out on the job, before he leaves, so he remembers all the parts, the address, the hours, etc, instead of rushing to fill them out in my driveway when he gets back for the day, hoping I won't notice, that I would make the necessary changes to eliminate the problem. I feel I've done what I can for him,….he needs to figure out a way for him to remind himself to do his job. After 2 years of this I really don't feel like I'm being a hard-ass.

 

Supervisor coping with ADHD employee

9/15/10 4:33pm

Hi there,  I'm a little confused about your post as you mentioned in the first post it was your friend who had an issue with an employee.  But in the second post you mentioned your friend wrote a book about it and didn't really need the advice, so I wasn't quite sure why you were asking for help.  But then it sounds like its you that is having the problem with an employee, not your friend.  Anyhow, it sounds like you've gone more than out of your way to accommodate this employee and you have legal rights as to just how much you are legally obligated to do for said employee (and it sounds like you've gone above and beyond that).  Best of luck!

LadyBug

9/15/10 8:33pm

Sorry to confuse... No it's not me.

It's a friend who has the employee with ADD... What I meant by He wrote a book...Is, he had so much to say about all he has been through.

He really just wanted some tips on other things he could try... 

 

Thanks for your help... ☺

Supervisor coping with ADHD employee

9/16/10 6:27pm

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but your friend should definitely seek legal counsel as it sounds like they've gone above and beyond what is required of an employer.  I know it sounds harsh, but if after everything they've tried the employee still can't do his job, the employer can legally terminate the employee.

 

I wish you both the best of luck!