Good Managers Do Not Need to Diagnose ADHD — They Need to Know What to Say and What to Do
Managing an employee with ADHD can feel difficult when you are trying to balance support, performance, fairness and the needs of the wider team. You may be unsure what questions you can ask, what reasonable adjustments might look like, how to address missed deadlines or inconsistent performance, and how to avoid saying the wrong thing. This practical TaylorMade Academy course gives managers clear, sensible guidance they can use immediately. You will learn how ADHD may affect attention, organisation, communication, time management and emotional responses at work, while avoiding stereotypes and assumptions. More importantly, you will learn how to give clearer instructions, reduce unnecessary uncertainty, hold better conversations, explore appropriate support and manage performance fairly and confidently. This is not a medical course and it will not turn you into an ADHD specialist. It will make you a better-informed, more capable manager.
Communicate Clearly and Reduce Unnecessary Overthinking
A vague message such as “I need to talk to you” can create hours of uncertainty, worry and lost concentration. This course shows managers how to communicate with greater clarity by explaining the subject, purpose, timing and expected outcome of a conversation. You will learn practical techniques for giving instructions, setting deadlines, changing priorities, providing feedback and arranging meetings without creating unnecessary confusion or alarm. Clear communication is not about treating employees differently or avoiding difficult messages. It is about removing ambiguity so that people can focus on the conversation, the task and the required outcome.
Provide Practical Support Without Removing Accountability
Supporting an employee with ADHD does not mean ignoring missed deadlines, accepting inappropriate behaviour or lowering every performance standard. It means understanding what may be creating a workplace barrier and considering practical changes that help the employee perform more consistently. The course explores written instructions, clearer priorities, structured check-ins, protected focus time, task-management tools, meeting adjustments and other practical approaches. You will also learn how to trial and review workplace adjustments so that support remains focused, reasonable and connected to genuine business needs.
Manage Performance Fairly, Confidently and Consistently
Managers sometimes become so concerned about saying the wrong thing that they avoid addressing performance altogether. That helps nobody. This course shows you how to separate observable facts from assumptions, explore whether ADHD or another workplace barrier may be relevant, confirm the required standard and agree clear next steps. You will learn how to hold supportive but honest performance conversations, document agreed actions, set review points and explain potential consequences without being aggressive, dismissive or unnecessarily vague. The aim is simple: remove unnecessary barriers while maintaining necessary standards.
Course curriculum
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1ADHD at Work: A Practical Guide for Managers