07 Feb You, Me and ADHD: In conversation with Callum McKirdy 

Image description: A photo of Callum mid-sentence. He is wearing a dark coloured buttoned long sleeve top and is set against a background of a bookshelf displaying the books he has published as well as live pants and a whiteboard with notes.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition describing differences in brain development that affects attention. ADHDers have historically been perceived as intentionally disruptive and a male-only neurotype.

Despite common misconceptions, ADHD is not a deficit of attention. Rather, it is an inability to attend to ONE thing at a time. This results in ADHDers becoming easily distracted and behaving  impulsively as the brain seeks ways to find new, interesting and exciting experiences. This impulsivity can lead to unbridled creativity and innovation as special interests take hold. There is also a risk that projects are left incomplete.

Many people with ADHD can hyperfocus when working on an area of interest, becoming completely absorbed and producing stellar outcomes as a result.

Callum McKirdy (He/Him) is a published author and Human Resources specialist. He was diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and is also dyslexic. Callum runs a podcast titled You, Me and ADHD, with an unashamedly positive take on what it’s like to live and thrive with ADHD.

There are many strengths from an ADHD and dyslexic neurotype, including:

• visualising in 3D images (Callum can see the inner workings of a clock, for example)
• solutions to problems that most others can’t
• imagination and creativity.
  
  

Callum also shines a light on his dyslexia and its impact.

• Callum processes words through drawings and icons.
• This can slow down his ability to read and process information as some words in the English language can’t translate into images. How would you assign a picture to ‘the’?
• Callum writes lots of lists, uses colour coding and mind maps daily.

Callum has little working memory and finds it difficult to follow processes and sequences.

• For example, his weekly trip to the supermarket:
• Callum relies on travelling through the aisles in the same direction.
• The weekly ‘Specials’ cause havoc when products are moved out of their usual spot.
• Checking in at the airport can also prove difficult:
• Regardless of how many times he has boarded a plane, Callum can become lost following the steps required to check-in.
• Spreadsheets are not his friend either as he finds the columns difficult to process.
   

Callum works with organisations to create ‘radically authentic workplaces’. He recommends that leadership teams connect thought diversity to performance outcomes. He takes a practical approach, advocating that there are often low-cost tweaks that can be made within organisational systems and processes to accommodate people with ADHD.
 
While there is no one size fits all experience of neurodivergence, Callum’s perspective provided me with insight to how one person is focusing on strengths rather than deficits. Callum believes “there is untapped potential in every organisation. We are all diverse and experience the world in our own way”.

I couldn’t agree more.