Psychological profile of an employee affects his performance at work, which is why a personalized approach to team management usually makes the most sense. To put it simply, each employee needs a different toolset and reacts to different management techniques.
In case of employees dealing with the attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), the challenges could be even greater. People with this disorder can be brilliant professionals, but their minds work in ways that may seem unusual. Instead of keeping one train of thought, ADHD-affected individuals tend to jump from one idea to the next, rarely staying focused on the same thing for long.
There are many productivity tools available to assist workers with ADHD to stay fully engaged and perform responsible duties without any issues. This article lists the best software products from this group and demonstrates how they can be valuable to businesses as well as individuals.
Numerous software solutions are designed to stimulate more productive work, either by helping the workers save time on each task or by improving team-wide coordination. One subset of this class of solutions are ADHD productivity tools, which include features specifically created to help improve focus and prevent mind slips.
Adoption of such tools can directly help a significant percentage of workers who are dealing with this condition. When used properly and within a wider corporate policy, they can put workers with ADHD on the same footing as their colleagues and allow them to perform up to their capacity. Some of those tools might also provide benefits for the entire team, and should be among the apps integrated into the company IT system.
Some ADHD productivity tools are very inventive, and bring user into focus in very creative ways. After all, people who feel comfortable tend to contribute more to the team and keeping the balance between psychological wellbeing and professional duties.
If your memory isn’t perfect, a task management application like Todoist can prevent you from forgetting a crucial task. Todoist is a simple program that ensures projects don’t fall behind schedule by sending notifications and reminders across multiple devices. Not only does it improve professional performance, but it can also simplify private obligations and chores.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: Free plan is available, Pro plan costs $4 per month, Business plan is offered for $6 per user/month
User feedback:
Some people with ADHD find it easier to communicate visually and Miro can enable them to do that within a business context. This app can be instrumental in every stage of the project, from brainstorming raw ideas to executing tasks in a coordinated manner. Miro is a creatively designed software that will feel like a true refreshment after using boring list-based productivity apps.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: Free plan is available, Starter plan costs $8 per team member monthly, Business plan costs $16 per member/month
User feedback:
People who struggle to connect their ideas into coherent concepts can benefits greatly from this simple and practical app. SimpleMind lets the user express his thoughts in any way that fits his cognitive style, gradually putting together a visual representation of his thought process. This is a software tool that adapts to you, not the other way around!
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: Free plan is offered, Pro plan costs EUR 24.99 per month
User feedback:
People who have a lot on their plate and have to balance between priorities need an app that lets them stay organized at all times. OmniFocus is a task management app that lets you stay focused on the big picture and accomplish everything in time. That’s why it represents a perfect choice for individuals with ADHS who work in dynamic environments and fill highly responsible positions.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: From $49.99 to $99.99
User feedback:
This app makes sure the user remembers the most important items on his schedule and helps to achieve more every single day. With reminders delivered directly to your inbox, you will never again allow a key task to slip through the cracks. Remember the Milk can run on a phone, tablet, desktop or laptop so you can always count on it to tell you what to do next.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: Free version is available, full version costs $39.99 per year
User feedback:
We all know that time is money, so every task that can be completed faster should be streamlined and wasted moments should be kept at a minimum. RescueTime does a terrific job on both fronts, eliminating distractions that could lead to procrastination while automatically measuring the time spent on each task. The end result is a more efficient effort and less energy expended.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: free trial is available (2 weeks), paid packages start at $6.50 per month
User feedback:
Coming up with a great business idea is rarely a straightforward process, and Xmind can provide a lot of assistance and potentially shorten the time needed to produce a viable project plan. Instead of forcing the user to follow a rigid procedure, this brainstorming and mind-mapping tool allows creative expression in many different styles.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: $5.99 per month, special offers available for educational institutions and NGOs
User feedback:
Versatility is the calling card of this software – it supports so many different activities that you’ll hardly need any other productivity suite. With Whimsical you can easily create mind maps, develop product ideas, draw project workflows, and do much more. If you are a person that thinks visually and connects the dots intuitively, this app will let you reach your peak creativity and ultimate efficiency.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: Starter pack is free, Pro pack costs $10/editor monthly, Organization pack costs $20 per editor/month
User feedback:
Visual collaboration suits people with ADHD better than endless task lists or long documents, which is why many organizations choose Lucidspark for managing remote teamwork. This is essentially a big virtual whiteboard that any team member can contribute in his own way. As a part of a larger software suite, Lucidspark can be easily connected with other business applications.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: Free plan is available, Individual plan costs $7.95, Team plan is priced at $9 per user
User feedback:
Any idea can be quickly visualized and turned into a practical plan with the help of MindNode app. This is a very intuitive brainstorming solution that allows individuals or teams to develop projects one step at a time. It offers a variety of smartly designed tools that make it easy to shape an abstract thought into a realistic plan that can be realized with the available resources.
Core features:
Reported issues:
Price plans: Free
User feedback:
1. Can workers suffering from ADHD benefit from general-purpose productivity tools?
Individuals with this condition can use a vast majority of features found in mainstream productivity apps and experience a noticeable boost in output, just like anyone else. They might find some functionalities to be poorly suited for their cognitive style, but there are ways to work around this issue.
2. What features of productivity solutions are most important for people with ADHD?
ADHD affected individuals often struggle to maintain focus, so any software apps that help them stay locked in on the present task are well suited for them. Features that can block out distractions or provide outlets for expressing unconventional ideas are also highly desirable.
3. Can workers with ADHD be equally productive as their colleagues?
If they are using the right tools and work in positions that suit their skills and personalities, people suffering from ADHD can demonstrate excellent performance and earn coveted promotions. That’s especially the case if the organization uses productivity tools that include ADHD-friendly features.
Living with ADHD doesn’t have to be a handicap, especially since today there are numerous tools that can offset some of the greatest difficulties arising from this condition. Some of the ADHD tools described in this article are loaded with innovative features that help to remember all the important tasks and avoid loss of focus. Most of them allow extensive customization, so that every individual can maximize the benefits they create. Some of these tools might be mutually compatible, so it’s worth trying out a few combinations to find the one that works best.