In a Pickle, The Lone Ranger and the Art of Vulnerability

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a team leader and you receive the following feedback about a valuable team member:

Bob is:

- Failing to access key resources - failing to complete important projects in a timely fashion - failing to communicate updates to key people

How would you respond? You would likely step in and support Bob in anyway you can, right?

We love to help others, we’ll go to the ends of the earth to help a good person in a pickle.

But...

What if Bob is actually you? If you’re the one who received the unsavory evaluation?

You’re the one in a pickle!

It’s a different response, right?

I’ll guess all kinds of threat responses are popping for you, taking you to a place of fear, loathing and … guess what?  Limiting your awareness, which in turn limits good choices.

For the Global Creative, the road to effective change can be challenging.  We have a strong sense of independence and belief that we ‘must fix this alone’ - The Lone Ranger Syndrome - which disrupts positive steps to correct the problem.  We also creatively rationalize all kinds of behavior that sidesteps the real problem.

Let’s take a closer look at what may be happening and some possible work-arounds.

Challenge: Not accessing key resources

You are your #1 resource and ADHD can hinder your ability to access your best assets and strengths.  It dampens good accurate awareness.

Strategy: Accept where you are - in a pickle! Only when we see the real picture can we make a real plan to move forward.  Awareness of the situation and some acceptance here are first steps.

Challenge: Not completing important projects in a timely fashion

The urgent items are no problem, but planning and executing around big Quad II projects can be a big struggle for those of us with ADHD.  Lack of awareness impedes our ability to engage where we need to engage.

Strategy: Unclear where you need to put your efforts?  Access a positive and supportive resource to help prioritize your multiple projects and set up frequent check-ins to create accountability.  It may be that you are an Active Talker and that talking is a key modality for synthesizing thoughts and building meaning around information.  The D-PARC approach is another resource.

Challenge: Not communicating updates to key people

Supposedly everyone is susceptible to this trait, regardless of brain style.  Communicating an update means we need to recognize what we are doing is not working (awareness) stop what we are doing (disengage), transition, develop a coherent email message and push send.  Not easy in the throes of overwhelm.  Plus, Global Creatives use this as a carrot.  “I’ll send an update when I can report something good!”

Strategy: Separate the task from the update.  See communicating inaction as a path to accessing team resources.  Sending up a flare does not mean you can’t do this. Sending up a flare is just a first step to accessing resources.

All of this takes a little vulnerability. But guess what? Vulnerability will actually dampen an emotional response and according to Brain Coach, Paul McGinniss, dampening your limbic system is a first step to limiting our brain’s threat response and creating positive change.

So don’t wait to access those important resources - you might be surprised at what happens.

After all, even the Lone Ranger had to ask for help.