Corporate A.D.D.

Corporate ADD -- which affects both individuals and organizations -- is a condition of involuntary distractibility characterized by an unfocused, urgency-driven, reactive work style.

Symptoms of Corporate A.D.D.:

1. Attention Deficit

Attention deficit means that the amount of attention you have to go around is less than the demand for your attention that your work style and life style choices currently require.

2. Compulsive Multitasking

Compulsive multitasking means that you multitask even when you donít have to. Many people have multitasked so often, for so long, that they can't stop. If youíre a compul-sive multitasker, you may even multitask in your mind (simultaneously thinking about several things unrelated to the task at hand). For compulsive multitaskers, it may feel difficult or uncomfortable to do just one thing at a time.

4. Inability to Concentrate When Needed

A short attention span is the hallmark of this symptom. If you find that you are easily distracted by external noises or your own thoughts, or your mind wanders when you try to con-centrate, then this one applies to you.

5.Time Poverty

Time poverty is when you don't have enough time to do the things that are important to you like personal renewal, time with family and loved ones, social activities, hobbies or other passions.

6. Chronic Over-commitment

Over-commitment is when you arenít able to get all the things done you intend to. It is normal to occasionally find yourself overcommitted; however, chronic over commitment is when this situation persists month after month. Then over-commitment is no longer an isolated event but has become a way of life.

7. Urgency Addiction

Urgency Addicts move from one urgent task to the next, often running late, with little or no time allotted for relaxation or reflection. They feel stressed yet strangely energized by the excitement and adrenalin of 'putting out fires'. Reactive Thinking is when little time and attention is devoted to being proactive because reacting to all the urgencies demands most (or all) of your focus.

8. Lack of Focus on Important Priorities

Misallocating your attention (failing to put enough attention on important areas or projects) can lead to costly problems. For example, when people focus all their attention on work and not enough on their health or relationships, inevitable breakdowns occur.

9. Lack of Reflection ... On Anything but Simple Information Transactions

This one is seen in people who are always 'too busy' to slow down long enough to carefully think through important decisions or for strategic thinking or planning.

10. Information Overwhelm

Info Overwhelm is when you feel stressed or overwhelmed by the amount of information you are trying to keep track of (email, paperwork, books, magazines, news, etc.).

11. Difficulty Learning And Retaining New Information

You are suffering from this symptom if you have difficulty remembering some-thing that you just read or a conversation that you just had (or if days later you can't recall something you learned).

12.Stress Manifesting as Tension, Irritability and/or Depression

You have this symptom if job-related stress causes you to have headaches, tension, irritability, frustration, depression or frequent illness.