Things go wrong in the workplace every now and then. There will be structures and processes for you to follow if something goes wrong. The important thing is to keep calm and manage the incident. When things go wrong this is possibly a time when your ADHD might surface, so you need to be aware of this and have strategies in place to manage your symptoms.
So what are some possible things that could go wrong and how could you manage them:
Job task changes
You arrive at work and you have been given a different job that you haven’t done before. This has the potential to make you anxious and become distracted whereby you don’t fully focus on the instructions for the new job and fail to complete it.
Response: Ask someone to show you or tell you how to do the new job and take some notes to help you remember.
Shifts change
You get your shifts for next week and they have changed your days. You check your diary and see that you have a basketball grand final on the day of the late shift.
Response: Ask a co-worker to swap that particular shift or see your supervisor, explain what has happened and ask if your shift can be changed.
Work space distractions
There is a lot of people traffic in your work space which you are finding distracting and you are unable to concentrate meaning you are not completing your work.
Response: Talk with your supervisor, explain the issue and see if you can move to a quieter spot.
You have been assigned a desk job
You are aware that you can’t sit for long periods of time due to your hyperactivity.
Response: Talk with your supervisor, discuss your need for movement breaks and re-work your tasks and hours worked or break times to get the completed work done.
You can’t get to work
You are sick or have another responsibility that comes up unexpectedly.
Response: Phone your boss and explain your absence so that your shift can be covered by someone else.
Communication is the key to solving workplace issues and to manage things that go wrong. When you first get your job make sure you know who the person is that you speak to if you have any issues or if things go wrong. No workplace is perfect and we all learn new ways to manage things as we gain more experience.
