The conversation around ADHD has become louder. But louder doesn’t always mean clearer.
At work, the more useful conversation begins with the realities of an ordinary Tuesday, when somebody’s capability and their capacity to access it do not appear to match.
Inconsistency can look like carelessness. Overwhelm can be mistaken for disengagement. Difficulty initiating a task can be interpreted as refusal.
What we see is real. But our first interpretation may be incomplete.
Progress requires more than awareness. It requires confident leaders who can stay curious without avoiding difficult conversations; employees able to communicate what helps; and organisations designed to respond consistently, rather than leaving inclusion to one particularly understanding manager.
That means distinguishing between capability, capacity and conduct. It means making expectations clear, noticing unnecessary friction and creating support that helps somebody meet the standard — not quietly removing the standard altogether.
Explanation is not the same as excuse. Support is not the absence of accountability. The two can — and should — exist together.
Because ADHD at work is not solely the responsibility of the individual, their manager, HR or an employee network. Everyone influences the environment in which people are expected to perform.
Awareness may change our vocabulary. Action changes the way we work.
Perhaps that is what this conversation now needs most: less noise, greater understanding and shared responsibility for what happens next.
Maisie Cass is a neurodiversity speaker, consultant and Founder of Diversity Does. Explore ADHD at Work: From Awareness to Action at maisiecass.co.uk/adhd-at-work