Humans of IT is thrilled to launch an Accessibility-focused content series, where we highlight a number of inspiring stories from Microsoft MVPs, employees and community members to share how accessible technology has helped them succeed and feel empowered in the workplace. The series will cover topics such as living and working with neurodiversity, how to leverage accessible tech tools and solutions in the workplace to boost productivity and more.
Today, we kick off the series with @laurie pottmeyer, a Microsoft employee and Community Lead for Microsoft Teams, who will share her personal story living and working with an ADHD diagnosis, and how the Microsoft Ignite 2019 Humans of IT Unconference session resulted in many helpful tips and tricks for individuals to effectively use technology to help manage ADHD + ADD. Laurie and her co-facilitators MVPs @Loryan Strant and @Christina Wheeler have compiled a list below from their session which they hope will help you or someone you know living with ADHD/ADD.
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It's like my brain is spaghetti. I can't focus. I don't know where to start. I'm so overwhelmed. I can't keep track of anything. People distract me from getting things done. There are many things that people with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or ADHD experience, and symptoms are felt to a different degree depending on the individual. For some, it's impossible to get through the day without an overwhelming sense of confusion and distractions preventing them from doing anything. For others, awareness and easy tips and tricks help make things work. For the sake of this article, I will use the term ADD without the 'H' aka hyperactivity.
I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult and though I thought I knew what it was, I realized I made assumptions. I knew ADD or ADHD as the kid in grade school that goofed off and was always in trouble. I knew ADD or ADHD to be the kid that needed extra help because they weren't able to stay on task and get things done. I knew ADD or ADHD to be something kids had - and then grew out of (or so I thought!). I didn't realize it is a very real thing some of us lived with, but didn't even know until we finally got a proper diagnosis. When left untreated, we create coping mechanisms to get us through the things we have to do in life.
I've always suffered from what I thought was anxiety that caused me to be distracted and kept me from getting simple tasks started (or completed) in both my personal and professional life. I always thought I was scattered and laughed off the constant misplacing of keys and other personal belongings. I blamed my inability to get as much work done as others on an open office environment, and I thought because I liked to shop there were constant clicks on the hundreds of emails coming my way each day when I should be working which made my days very long to keep up with work. After my diagnosis a few years ago, I learnt that my anxiety was not unlike anyone else in the world that thought about 'life'. Some of the anxiety I experienced was due to behaviors caused by ADD which, in turn, made me anxious. The most encouraging thing I learnt was how many others were in the same boat as me, and that there were many things I could do to help myself be more organized and productive. As I started to talk with others in my professional life about my diagnosis, I was enlightened by the tips and tricks others had to share. This was the first step to learning why I am the way I am, and gave me new knowledge and tools to change my 'disability' into a superpower.
I was absolutely honored to co-lead a Humans of IT Unconference session at Microsoft Ignite 2019 with @Loryan Strant and @Christina Wheeler; two MVPs I work closely with on their stellar community contributions to Microsoft Teams. The three of us have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and each of us have varying levels of different symptoms. When we talked about doing a session at Microsoft Ignite, we wanted to raise awareness of ADD for those who might work or live with those who have it, and to share tips and tricks we have learnt along our own journey with others. Our session filled up within days of open registration and the room was packed. It was inspiring to see so many attendees who were similarly forthcoming and being vulnerable about their own conditions/diagnosis.
Everyone in the room had something to add to the conversation since the Unconference session is designed to be somewhat of an interactive workshop; sharing within small groups and summarizing our findings as a group at the end. Participants agreed that though ADD can be a major hindrance to our personal and professional lives, there are times when ADD can be a blessing as a form of superpower, too. During the session, we worked to learn tools and coping mechanisms each of us use to help manage our daily life.
On behalf of the 40 of us in the room that day in Orlando - we hope these tips and tricks will help you. We welcome you to share your own tips and tricks in the comments section.
Tools:
*We shared an idea with the Outlook team to have a work block be a type of meeting that actually moved to another free time in your day when someone schedules a meeting during your original block and kept it solid if your day was otherwise blocked. (If this is interesting to you, vote it up!)
Working environment:
Working with others best:
What you can do if you work with others who have ADD:
At Microsoft, we build products with accessibility as a priority and we were so happy to have members from the Office accessibility team in attendance to learn and listen. For more information what Microsoft is doing and examples of accessible features, check out: https://aka.ms/accessibility.
We want to hear from you!
What are your tips and tricks? What has made you successful living or working with another person with ADD? What do you wish your co-workers understood about ADD? Leave a comment below and let's continue to learn from each other!
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