Being put on a Performance Improvement Plan when you have ADHD

There is no doubt ADHD can present challenges in the workplace. Navigating lengthy mundane administrative tasks, maintaining attention to detail and meeting tight deadlines can all pose difficulty.

So if your manager flags performance issues and you are, unfortunately, put on performance improvement plan, what next?

Step #1 Maintain a cool head

It’s easy to become panicked when you’re called into your manager’s office. But becoming anxious won’t help you tackle the problem. Try deep breathing exercises or meditation. There are a couple of hypnotherapy techniques I can teach you in session to bring your anxiety levels down.

Step #2 Evaluate if it’s actually worth it

Yes, you read that right. I’m a firm believer that everything that happens in life happens for a reason. What is your gut telling you? Has your manager put you on PIP as the first step in getting rid of you? Or do they genuinely want to work with you to achieve a resolution?

Is the work environment you are currently in a good fit for you? Remember not being a good fit doesn’t equate with inadequacy. We all, even those without ADHD, have our strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps this is a sign to start exploring other options.

Perhaps your emotional energy is best spent pursuing jobs elsewhere when you’re not working. Life is too short to carry on down the wrong path.

Step #3 If it is worth it, make sure you have tangible targets and a timeline for achieving them

Is the feedback from your manager in the PIP verging on being a bit vague? Ask for tangible, achievable (and measurable) targets. If it’s to do with time management, how much time exactly does your manager expect you to be spending on each task?

Agree a timeframe with your manager to have achieved these goals by and regularly review progress.

Step #3 If it’s not worth it, decide on an alternative action plan

If you don’t feel you are a good fit for your particular role/company anyway, what other career paths would you be open to exploring? Would you like to stay in the same industry but simply move to a different company?

Most of us are not very good at acknowledging our strengths. Write down a list of 10 positive qualities you believe to be true about yourself. Are you good with people? If so, are there any roles which would enable you to be more people-facing if you are not currently? Do you switch off when things become too routine and mundane? If so, is there a role that would grant you more day to day variety.

Step #4 Whichever option you choose, work on bolstering your confidence as well as working through any unresolved emotional issues

Some experts believe we reenact familial relationships within the dynamics of the workplace. For instance, if you had an authoritarian father who you had a poor relationship with, you may find it challenging working with authoritarian-style male managers. Or if you had a particularly critical mother, you may find it hard to take feedback from female uplines.

This is something we can work on within the therapy room, through healing emotional wounds of old, particularly those from childhood.

Step #5 Never give up

With all the day to day challenges you have to workaround with ADHD in the mix, you already have bags of resilience. Tune into this inner resilience and believe in yourself. There are some powerful NLP techniques we can use in session to help you anchor positive emotional states such as self-belief and confidence, so you can access them as and when needed throughout the day.