Back in the ’90s, the Gallup Organization
studied the notion of “employee engagement” and its connection to
business performance. The lessons they learned are both powerful and
subtle (full article here), and much more than can be condensed into a single blog.

But I do want to quote the first of twelve “Q12″ factors they consider most important for predicting employee engagement:

“Do you know what’s expected of you at work?”

In ADD land, I think this is an extra important question (or risk
factor, depending on how you look at it). It’s awfully easy for someone
with ADD to get this one wrong as we:

• Miss an important detail in the boss’s instructions (spacing out, anyone?)

• Leap to our own (intelligent) conclusion as to what’s needed, instead of listening to what the client is really asking for.

• Fail to keep our own staff informed of changes or details that they
  need to know, as we assume that our quick sketches are good enough
  instructions, or as we fail to be available when they have questions
  (because we forgot to tell them when we’d be out of the office).

Among our allies: pencil and paper for writing down what’s been said.