By Lisa Golding 

Inclusion is a practice, not a policy 

As someone who began my career in primary education, inclusion has always been at the heart of my practice. It rests on two foundations: behaviour is communication, and if someone doesn’t understand what I’m trying to impart, it’s my responsibility to help them get it. Not to judge. Not to label. But to scaffold, support, and adapt until learning lands. 

These foundations continue to shape my work as Learning and Development Lead at Transformational Partners in Health and Care. 

October marks ADHD Awareness Month, a timely moment to reflect on how we support neurodivergent colleagues. This is an area I care deeply about, informed by personal experiences of what poor understanding and inadequate support can lead to. 

Let’s begin with a truth that should sit at the heart of every line manager’s practice: the overwhelming majority of people don’t come to work to do a poor job. People want to contribute. They want to make an impact, receive feedback, and grow. 

Yet in my role as an executive leadership coach, I’m often asked to support colleagues labelled as underperforming, when in reality, their challenges stem from neurodivergent traits that are misunderstood and unsupported. 

It is also important to acknowledge that not all people will have an ADHD diagnosis, ADHD UK research indicates that in the UK, just 1 in 9 people with ADHD actually have a diagnosis. 

For colleagues with ADHD, the workplace can present real barriers. Missed deadlines, distraction, or emotional dysregulation are often misread as laziness, carelessness, or lack of commitment. These labels aren’t just inaccurate, they’re incredibly harmful. They reinforce narratives many neurodivergent individuals have faced since childhood, eroding confidence, trust, and psychological safety. And they block the very adjustments that could unlock performance. 

As line managers, we have a choice: judgement or curiosity. One shuts down dialogue. The other opens up possibility. 

Replace judgement with curiosity 

ADHD isn’t a character flaw. It’s a neurodevelopmental condition that affects areas including attention, impulse control, and executive functioning. But it also brings strengths: creativity, hyperfocus, energy, and lateral thinking. 

When a colleague is struggling, ask: 

• “What’s getting in the way?” 

• “What does support look like for you?” 

• “What patterns are we noticing together?” 

Curiosity invites collaboration. It signals respect. And it’s the foundation of inclusive, defensible practice. 

Relationships first 

Line management isn’t about control, it’s about relationship. The best managers don’t just hold people to account; they hold people in regard. 

For colleagues with ADHD, relational trust is everything. It creates the safety to say, “I’m overwhelmed,” or “I need a different way of working.” Without that trust, we risk silence, shame, and burnout. 

Build it by: 

• Showing up consistently 

• Following through on commitments 

• Naming strengths as clearly as you name challenges 

• Being human. especially when things go wrong 

Listen like it matters (because it does) 

Listening isn’t passive. It’s active, strategic, and protective. When a colleague discloses ADHD, or hints at struggles, your response sets the tone. 

Do: 

• Listen without interrupting 

• Validate their experience 

• Ask what adjustments might help 

• Follow up, not just once, but regularly 

Don’t: 

• Offer generic advice 

• Assume you know what ADHD “looks like” 

• Treat adjustments as optional extras 

Reasonable adjustments are not ‘favours’ 

They’re legal, ethical, and often transformative. But they must be co-designed. That means working with your direct report, not around them, not for them, but with them. 

Examples include: 

• Flexible deadlines or working hours 

• Noise-cancelling headphones or quiet spaces 

• Visual task boards or structured check-ins 

• Clear, written instructions alongside verbal ones 

The key is individualisation. What works for one colleague may not work for another. So ask, test, review, and adapt. 

Lead with values, not just policies 

In high-pressure environments, it’s tempting to default to process. But values-led leadership demands more. It asks us to centre fairness, transparency, and psychological safety, even when it’s inconvenient. 

Supporting colleagues with ADHD isn’t just about compliance. It’s about culture. It’s about creating teams where difference is not just tolerated, but welcomed. Where people can thrive, not despite their neurodivergence, but because of how it’s understood and supported. 

If you’re a line manager reading this, know that your role is pivotal. You don’t need to be an expert in ADHD. But you do need to be an expert in listening, in relationship, and in values-led action. 

Because when we get this right, we don’t just support individuals to be their best at work, we build cultures of genuine inclusion and belonging.