The Job Underneath the Job

October is ADHD Awareness Month, so I'll start with the basics: I have ADHD. I also have OCD and dyslexia. I spent decades in operations and executive leadership building workarounds long before I had the language for why I needed them.

Picture two people doing the same job. Same deadline. Same outcome. One simply does the work. The other does it while translating verbal instructions into something they can retain, rehearsing what they'll say in meetings, checking written communication over and over, and recovering from interruptions.

Same output. Very different workload.

That's the job underneath the job. And if the mask works, that tells you nothing about what it costs.

My new Influential Women piece covers that, plus why "But you've always been able to do it" does real damage, the difference between an explanation and an excuse, and how leaders can ask how people work best without needing anyone to disclose a damn thing.

What's your job underneath the job? Who knows it exists?

Link in the first comment.

#adhdawarenessmonth #neurodiversity #leadership