Anyone have a boss with ADHD?

[Anonymous]

My boss probably is undiagnosed and untreated, and also probably twice exceptional, which is why she made it so far but is failing—hard.

I cope by taking and organizing meticulous notes, sorting her thousands of emails into folders by subject matter as they come in, and then taking time to synthesize everything into lists of priorities with tasks, timelines, and deliverables all in one place, for her.

She stills takes my lists and chops them up and spits feedback at me in random fits and bursts, but it helps that I at least have an outline that I work off of to paste things into as we go.

It is chaos. It is stressful. I am leaving ASAP.

[Anonymous]

People with ADHD have unique and rare talents, it’s a shame when they go into careers where they’re not effective. They should have done something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People with ADHD have unique and rare talents, it’s a shame when they go into careers where they’re not effective. They should have done something else.

I don’t think that’s the answer, but it is a shame when people go undiagnosed for a long time, and then don’t get support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I worked for a boss with ADHD for 3 years. It was extremely stressful as he would get excited about things, go tangent, and follow up so closely on where things were to a point where I felt I was under the lens every minute. I was a highly efficient employee and delivered all the deliverables very quickly and ahead of time. That made him ask for more and more. He told me a few times that his wife wants him to start meds for ADHD. That's when I realized that all his jumping around was because of that condition. I had 1:1 conversations with him many times on how his ideas stressed me out and got me exhausted trying to make those work and deliver. He also apologized a couple times but the micromanagement got worse each day. I finally looked for another job and quit. I feel so much as peace now. Seriously that stress that was caused to me wasn't worth it.
I would say try to look for another job.

Straight up and full stop. This is the most exhausting, depressing, aggravated, and frustrated I have ever been in my life working for this turd of a woman. Not only is my boss ADD and obese, but she also micromanages and bullies me. She constantly interrupts me and all of our coworkers try to avoid her when they see her coming because she never stops talking, and talking over you. Quit. Move on. You don't need to endure this.

Why do you mention that she’s obese? How is that related at all to her negative interactions with you?

[Anonymous]

It will impact your career OP. That is why you should start looking elsewhere. Ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

BTDT and I ended up leaving the job. I was replaced by someone who, for whatever the reason, was able to wrangle my ADHD boss better than I could, and she stayed until he retired. One trick I did learn though was to never go into his office unless there was a scheduled meeting there. Going in with a ‘quick question’ was a guaranteed three-hour tangent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I worked for a boss with ADHD for 3 years. It was extremely stressful as he would get excited about things, go tangent, and follow up so closely on where things were to a point where I felt I was under the lens every minute. I was a highly efficient employee and delivered all the deliverables very quickly and ahead of time. That made him ask for more and more. He told me a few times that his wife wants him to start meds for ADHD. That's when I realized that all his jumping around was because of that condition. I had 1:1 conversations with him many times on how his ideas stressed me out and got me exhausted trying to make those work and deliver. He also apologized a couple times but the micromanagement got worse each day. I finally looked for another job and quit. I feel so much as peace now. Seriously that stress that was caused to me wasn't worth it.
I would say try to look for another job.

Straight up and full stop. This is the most exhausting, depressing, aggravated, and frustrated I have ever been in my life working for this turd of a woman. Not only is my boss ADD and obese, but she also micromanages and bullies me. She constantly interrupts me and all of our coworkers try to avoid her when they see her coming because she never stops talking, and talking over you. Quit. Move on. You don't need to endure this.

Why do you mention that she’s obese? How is that related at all to her negative interactions with you?

NP and I wondered, too. And then I recalled working for an obese boss and she physically used her body mass to intimate others by getting in their space. I wonder if that is why OP mentioned it. Certainly not all obese people do this, but I wouldn’t be surprised in a high percentage of obese bullies do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a consultant and worked for a severely ADHD client for one year - it was a nightmare and this person was a train wreck. They were constantly late, always changing and canceling plans and ideas, couldn't make it to the airport on time for flights and had terrible relationships with the vendors and clients and their own family. It was nuts - I had no idea ADHD could be so toxic - I backed away slowly and quit after a year.

Do you think that anything could be done to help people with ADHD function better in the workplace? They are having to live with this condition, and it's not like they chose to be this way. People with ADHD need to be able to make a living, and so is there a way we can all work together with them? Or should they all just accept that they need to be entry-level workers or work by/for themselves?

[Anonymous]

I have ADHD and hyperfocus on work. It's just my personal life where things fall apart.

[Anonymous]

I have worked for a boss with ADHD for 4 months. It was so stressful, I resigned without a job to go to. Honestly do not put yourself through it. It is draining. She started bullying me and shouting about the smallest/pettiest things - these were made out to be huge problem to her. Her mind worked 1000mph so keeping up was challenging. The micro management and lack of trust was also a big problem for me.

It is the most exhausting health condition and I would never work for someone with this ever again. It is not fair to put others through the drama. Don’t get me wrong if you are on meds and your employees are happy, good for you.

[Anonymous]

I am concluding a long tenure with an ADHD boss. When he's good, he's very good. His primary problem is emotion regulation and rejection sensitivity. He is incapable of working for a company or anyone else because of that so he opened his own firm.

[Anonymous]

Mine has it and doesn't know it and it is painful!!! He can't get off of a topic once he hooks in, requires an immediate response so will do things like text about something non-urgent at 8am on a Saturday, forgets things he already knew. It is frustrating as hell but I have a child with severe ADHD so I think I have more patience than most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People with ADHD have unique and rare talents, it’s a shame when they go into careers where they’re not effective. They should have done something else.

They need a ton of scaffolding- as kids, at home, at work.

My advice would be I hope they only have one kid of their lives will explode. Or divorce will happen.

[Anonymous]

Yes, my ADHD (ex) boss has three kids from two different partners and also divorced three times. Her life is always full of drama and chaotic. But she brings it all on herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I worked for a boss with ADHD for 3 years. It was extremely stressful as he would get excited about things, go tangent, and follow up so closely on where things were to a point where I felt I was under the lens every minute. I was a highly efficient employee and delivered all the deliverables very quickly and ahead of time. That made him ask for more and more. He told me a few times that his wife wants him to start meds for ADHD. That's when I realized that all his jumping around was because of that condition. I had 1:1 conversations with him many times on how his ideas stressed me out and got me exhausted trying to make those work and deliver. He also apologized a couple times but the micromanagement got worse each day. I finally looked for another job and quit. I feel so much as peace now. Seriously that stress that was caused to me wasn't worth it.
I would say try to look for another job.

Straight up and full stop. This is the most exhausting, depressing, aggravated, and frustrated I have ever been in my life working for this turd of a woman. Not only is my boss ADD and obese, but she also micromanages and bullies me. She constantly interrupts me and all of our coworkers try to avoid her when they see her coming because she never stops talking, and talking over you. Quit. Move on. You don't need to endure this.

Why do you mention that she’s obese? How is that related at all to her negative interactions with you?

NP and I wondered, too. And then I recalled working for an obese boss and she physically used her body mass to intimate others by getting in their space. I wonder if that is why OP mentioned it. Certainly not all obese people do this, but I wouldn’t be surprised in a high percentage of obese bullies do.

Fascinating!