I have the most difficult time working for/with people who are not organized and the environment lacks structure. If they appear to be just "winging it" and there are no clear guidelines, I nearly want to walk out, pulling my hair out.

If work instructions are not clear, oh God, that drives me batty. Things need to be laid out in a clear concise manner with little room for misinterpretation.

Poorly formatted instructional memo's are another thing that sends me reeling. Okay, maybe I am a bit of a perfectionist in some ways but it's difficult to read when you run it all together instead of using spacing.

Anyone else a stickler for organization?

You have got to be kidding.

It is very common for ADDers to crave structure and organization.
L.

Okay, I think I understand what you meant now. It seems you were talking more about the environment and the ease of knowing what is expected of you and how it's expected you do it versus working with a bunch of layered management telling you how to achieve your goals and do your work on the job day-to-day.

I find that if I'm given heavy constraints in organizing, using, and/or presenting information on my way to achieving a goal, I am useless. And once I feel that I have no real say in how an objective is achieved, my focus is absolutely gone.

But at the same time, I need structure along the way to stay focused and on track.

So it's a frustrating situation. I need the light structure along the way but once it gets too "heavy-handed" it's over.

Too much or too little and it's game over.

Looking back, my success or failure at a job can be directly tied to the level of ongoing structure. It's a very fine line it seems. Being on a team of like minded people seems like the best situation. We can encourage each other and check in, but back off as well when necessary.


I once read some stupid article about "the ADD person is the one who pumps your gas and goes home at night to read up on quantum physics and is happy about it."

I see the appeal.

"the ADD person is the one who pumps your gas and goes home at night to read up on quantum physics and is happy about it." That's a keeper.
L.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BadHire
"the ADD person is the one who pumps your gas and goes home at night to read up on quantum physics and is happy about it."

That's a keeper.
L.
Ditto!

I have found over the years that I thrive in a work enviroment that is structured, while I struggle in one without. Strange, but for all these years I could never figure out why. Now I have some hope and direction.

Hi all,

Just got into this Thread about structured/un-structured environments. I seem to have a similar problem as the one described by BadHire (finding the thin line between the need of external structure and the freedom to act by myself). Because of my not knowing anymore what I can do since too much freedom just brings me down, I have no self-confidence lately ... Since I seemed to struggle too much with something, I was left alone since they imagined I just have my way of doing things ... now I am heading towards a catastrophe because I am definitely far from the above-mentioned line.

I would be grateful, if you could give as much detail as possible of what you expect from others and what you can bring yourself in order to achieve the goal of 'structure'. An example, pls pls pls :)

10x,
Cristian.

I would be grateful, if you could give as much detail as possible of what you expect from others and what you can bring yourself in order to achieve the goal of 'structure'. An example, pls pls pls :)

Sorry to have neglected this thread.

I work in an office where some tasks do not have procedures. Naturally, this leaves room for errors. One person may do something one way and the next person sees it differently. The one who sees it differently may be reprimanded for doing it 'incorrectly.'

But how is it incorrect when there are no guidelines? I don't mean that there should be a written procedure for sharpening your pencil. =) I just think guidelines help keep things straight, myself included. lol I want to color inside the lines consistently but I need to know where the lines are.

I like things to run smoothly and if I can find a well-written procedure, I can help ensure precision.

Okay, I think I understand what you meant now. It seems you were talking more about the environment and the ease of knowing what is expected of you and how it's expected you do it versus working with a bunch of layered management telling you how to achieve your goals and do your work on the job day-to-day.

I find that if I'm given heavy constraints in organizing, using, and/or presenting information on my way to achieving a goal, I am useless. And once I feel that I have no real say in how an objective is achieved, my focus is absolutely gone.

But at the same time, I need structure along the way to stay focused and on track.

So it's a frustrating situation. I need the light structure along the way but once it gets too "heavy-handed" it's over.

Too much or too little and it's game over.

Looking back, my success or failure at a job can be directly tied to the level of ongoing structure. It's a very fine line it seems. Being on a team of like minded people seems like the best situation. We can encourage each other and check in, but back off as well when necessary.


Wow, this thread really hits the nail on the head. I was just thinking about the paradox that an ADDer is perceived as all free-wheeling and constrained by routine or structure, and yet it is that very thing that permits an ADDer to work at his or her best.

Or at least it is very true for me. I think it stems from my general inability to prioritize what's important and what isn't or to decide what to do first and in what order. If the priorities and order are inherent in the structure, then I am able to function.

And, as long as I know the general direction I am going, I prefer to be left alone to go that direction in the manner that I see fit. So, little to no supervision with direction and structure = good, micro-managing with no direction or structure = bad.

Thoughts?

My job is pretty unstructured....this higher my position gets the more unstructured it becomes....

I'm a formulation chemist....I don't do the same thing every day. Sometimes I make batches, sometimes I do paperwork, sometimes I go to meetings....sometimes I have "real" projects, other times I just play with chemicals and make stuff that will never make it to the market......

My job causes me a crazy amount of anxiety....the less busy I am the worse my job preformance becomes......if I have nothing to work on my mind drifts away and when something comes up that I have to do I end up messing it up.....and I am always ****ing off my boss in some way or another......

My workday doesn't have structure....I have work to do but it's up to me how and when I do it......my boss doesn't give clear instructions and she get's ****ed if I ask her questions......

Did I mention that I hate my job??? I constantly feel like a failure here.......I think sometimes if my job had more structure I wouldn't feel this way.....

Anyway....I crave structure in my life so much that I actually work seven days a week. I have a weekend job, and I never use my up vacation days that I have at my full-time job.....I simply cannot have a day off......having nothing do do freaks me out so much that I have to work all the time.....

Anyway....I crave structure in my life so much that I actually work seven days a week. I have a weekend job, and I never use my up vacation days that I have at my full-time job.....I simply cannot have a day off......having nothing do do freaks me out so much that I have to work all the time.....

Yup, I can relate to this... I have a theory that ADHD people are prone to workaholism for that very reason...