productivity coach for professionals with adhd
ADHD coach Denver
ADHD Management Coach Colorado
Listen to my interview on the Podcast Business News Network
lets get stuff done
you will manage your adhd.
you will find ways to be more productive without working harder.
you are about to change.
I will be traveling to Japan between 10/15/2024 and 11/30/2024.
My hours are going to change during this time.
EST: 6 pm - 11 pm, MST: 4 pm - 9 pm
I apologize for inconvenience.
Announcement!
Are you an...
exhausted and overworked Professional
with/without Diagnosed, un-Diagnosed, self-Diagnosed adhD, or executive function challenges?
Does any of these sound familiar?
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Great at getting urgent/quick "put out fires" tasks, but cannot create long-term project plans. Difficult to break up a big project into smaller pieces with milestones with the appropriate time estimates and the right sequence.
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Perfectionism makes it difficult to complete tasks. Sometimes, I even get afraid of starting projects because I may not be able to be "perfect." So, I divert to small tasks I can easily "complete" to check off at least many small things.
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I am so into something interesting. I come up with great ideas. I am so good at it! But if it is not interesting, I cannot do it and drag it for weeks. I try to do it, but I procrastinate and do something more interesting. Then I realized I had put that off again. Then I started asking, "Why am I always like this?" Then I start blaming myself, and that gets emotionally hard to deal with, so I end up doing something else again.
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Wait until the last minute, although I know I must start early. I know my anxiety builds up, and that is unbearable. But still cannot start anytime earlier.
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I feel like working so hard throughout the day, but I always realize nothing is done at the end of the day.
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Cannot prioritize - jump into things right in front of me. i.e.) the e-mail on top of my screen, or the phone call I get at that moment. Cannot plan out the day to get the critical things done.
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I have multiple planners, notes, or stickies because I fear forgetting them. I write down things to remember but cannot remember where I wrote them. Because of this, I am always afraid of "forgetting things" and "including things" in all my tasks.
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I am a lister. I like to list things because it helps me think through what I need to do in detail. But when I look at the list afterward, it is so overwhelming that I cannot even look at it.
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I know I need to be more proactive and strategically think about what to do, but I feel like I have no time to do so. I always end up responding to quick requests or doing smaller tasks throughout the day.
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When I hyperfocus, I get many things done, but it only happens at the last minute. I desperately wish it had happened earlier, but it never happens.
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I know what to do in the next few days or next week, but I cannot see anything further down. So, I never have enough time to prepare for meetings or finish the report.
If more than 3 of the above statements describe you,
you have a chance to boost your productivity dramatically.
Services
Strength-based productivity coaching for professionals with adhd
Weekly 50-min Sessions - 8 to 12 weeks or more
Improving your productivity by improving your executive function skills
in the context of business competencies
We offer an adult ADHD coaching service to help you optimize overall performance by strengthening your executive function (EF) level.
We first assess the areas of weak executive functioning skills and how they are impacting your ability to perform. Then, we develop ways to improve these executive functioning skills. We identify alternative methods to enhance your EF skills and maximize your potential. To do that, we create a set of strategies during each session for clients to practice implementing every week.
Our approach is holistic and encompasses connecting executive function skills with workplace performance. To thrive in your career, you must cultivate solid competencies in productivity improvement, project management, and leadership development. The main reason we focus on coaching professionals is that content specifically addresses work performance while reinforcing clients' executive function skills.
We adopt an integrated approach that strengthens your executive function skills and ADHD traits to increase productivity through project management skills and leadership. During our discussions, we facilitate a deeper understanding of your traits and behavioral patterns and guide you in developing these skills in the workplace to generate more tangible outcomes.
Click to enlarge
competencies we focus on
How executive functions skills help build critical performance competencies
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example: how exactly does your executive function influence
yor behaviors at the workplace?
How executive function skills translate into behaviors at work
at each stage of the project management cycle
Click to enlarge
Listen to my interview on the Podcast Business News Network
Notable Research Papers to try reading
Executive function deficits mediate the relationship between employees' ADHD and job burnout
AIMS Public Health
Yaara Turjeman-Levi, Guy Itzchakov and Batya Engel-Yeger. March 12, 2024
Potentiality of Coaching for Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disorders as a Bridge Between Higher Education and Occupational Fields (Japanese)
University of Tohoku, Journal of Assisting Dialogue and Communication Studies
Keita Kiuchi,
What is "professional coaching"?
What is an "executive function" coach?
To optimize effectiveness, our sessions focus on developing customized strategies tailored to each client's current workplace challenges and the capacity required in a professional setting. We also consider job type, potential career progression, and industry standards so that our strategies are well met and can be utilized in the long run.
Our sessions aim to develop practical, impactful, and implementable individualized ADHD strategies. We have clients practice those strategies every week to test how they changed their daily behavioral and thinking patterns. Based on that, we adjust techniques to continue improving work performance and productivity.
Because the tactics we develop must be designed to meet the client's specific job type, we value how they can be applied in the context of their ADHD traits, as each individual's circumstances vary significantly. We also delve deeper to identify the hidden source of the missing skillset. For example:
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Client A (Management Consultant): He wanted to improve his communication skills by being more articulate, concise, and convincing. He needed to fill this performance gap to showcase his leadership to Fortune 100 company clients. While we worked on structuring his thoughts to deliver a concise yet effective message, we discovered that the real challenge was his fear of uncertainty, which impacted his confidence in speaking to clients. We identified a type of uncertainty he was scared about and then developed new ways of thinking about "uncertainty" and how that could bring opportunities to open up the discussion with clients.
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Client B (Software Engineer Manager): He wanted to hone his leadership skills to effectively lead his team in completing the project on time with the required results. His challenge was to create project plans due to his time blindness and sequencing tasks. The bigger the project was, the more he tended to think about so many things about the project, which led to generating many great ideas and getting stuck in rabbit holes. We then found out that he also lacked the ability to shift between seeing the overall project scope and managing detailed tasks. Based on these traits, we created a specific process map for him to follow to build project plans and yet hold on to some great and creative ideas while building a project plan.
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Client C (Account Manager): She wanted to find ways to organize and prioritize her tasks better to work on small tasks as well as big projects. Her job required her to respond to the team's ad-hoc issues quickly, but she had no time to work on her big projects. We found out she never gave herself time to sort out her tasks and prioritize them based on specific criteria because of her fear of not performing well, and she was always jumping into e-mails from first thing in the morning until the end of the day. We created structures for her to follow with a clear prioritization process specific to her job type in the industry to manage better ad-hoc requests and block time to work on bigger projects. We also addressed why she feared losing her job if she didn't respond within a few minutes. We re-evaluated her position's "real" required skills and how she could cultivate them to be promoted next year.
addresing 3 touch points
Focusing on three key points is crucial to effectively address ADHD traits and executive function while cultivating management skills. For example, simply understanding your time blindness and learning to "know time" is not enough at the workplace. It is necessary to develop tailored tactics specific to the particular business type, tasks, responsibilities, and techniques involved.
For example, if a client faces challenges in creating project plans, merely improving time estimation techniques may not be adequate. Instead, it is important to delve deeper into how the client is doing the following tasks;
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Defining key success factors, evaluation criteria, and critical building blocks to complete the project
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Break up a project into several phases and define the necessary milestones to be met
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Identify required information/data for the project and lead time to collect them
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Prioritize and sequence tasks to meet milestones and modify them as needed
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Identify project stakeholders, SMEs, and key "buy-in"
Creating project plans together using whiteboards or discussion boards is common during coaching sessions. This allows clients to implement identified tactics in real-time and complete tasks during the session.
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ADHD tactics must be customized to meet each client's specific demands and circumstances. A one-size-fits-all approach is insufficient for professionals because it fails to account for the individual's unique needs, such as job type and characteristics, standard practice in the industry, and evaluation criteria and standards. It is also critical to identify the source of pressure and challenges of the client's specific position at the workplace. ADHD strategies must be practical and specific to the client's existing skillset. Each client's job requirement and skills needed to advance their career need to be taken into account.
As a strength-based coach, I aim to maximize output while minimizing input by utilizing the client's strengths. To achieve this, we adopt a three-pronged approach encompassing ADHD coaching, professional coaching, and customized individual improvement coaching. By combining these aspects, we offer holistic coaching that empowers clients to manage their careers effectively and continue to grow.
how is coaching different from therapy?
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Coaching focuses on how you want to become in the future and how to get there. Under a broad "goal," we identify multiple milestones and explore how to build skills to go through the milestones. The discussions are more tactical and solution-oriented.
about adhd/executive function
Executive function (EF) is a set of self-management skills that include:
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Working Memory
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Flexible Thinking
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Goal Setting
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Planning and Organization
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Prioritization
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Self-Control/Impulsivity
These functions are interrelated and operate in coordination with each other. Our brain coordinates this command center and utilizes these skills throughout the day.
ADHD is a neurological condition involving a developmental impairment of the self-management system that relies on executive functions. Most people with ADHD struggle with multiple executive function skills, making everyday activities more challenging.
Although ADHD is almost always defined by weakness in executive function skills, every individual has his/her own strengths, which can be integrated to come up with effective strategies to overcome an executive dysfunction.
Coaching method
We don't come up with strategies for you to work harder. We aim to have you work smarter and more easily.
As a coach, I provide guidance and facilitate a fresh perspective that encourages you to challenge your thinking and ask probing questions. I seek to understand your traits and behavioral patterns to identify hidden performance blockers that may be hindering your overall productivity. Furthermore, I explore your underlying drivers and motivations to leverage them as catalysts for overcoming challenges.
Through in-depth discussions, we develop targeted tactics that are actionable so that you can practice using them during that week. Through weekly meetings, we review and adjust tactics as needed; by repeating and practicing these tactics, you develop new behavioral and thinking patterns to break through your ADHD traits. My primary objective is to help you work more intelligently and efficiently, optimizing your performance.
Coaching Philosophy
Coaching serves as a powerful tool for individuals seeking to embark on a transformational journey. Life often presents continuous challenges, whether in the workplace or at home, which may be difficult to surmount using existing skillsets and perspectives. Adapting to novel situations and challenges demands not only acceptance but also the acquisition of new skills and perspectives to manage them effectively, thus enabling personal growth and progress.
As an expert in ADHD and executive function coaching, I understand that developing EF skills alone is inadequate for professionals seeking to optimize their performance. My coaching services strive to integrate EF skills into all aspects of the business, including project management, leadership, and productivity, in order to develop your potential holistically. By exploring every avenue of personal development, my transformational coaching approach fosters a comprehensive and integrated approach to empower you to reach your goals and achieve success.
Coaching Process
Our coaching sessions are built around a discussion with thought-provoking questions that enhance self-awareness and self-discovery through an ADHD/executive function lens. It is a journey, and as a coach, I assist you every step of the way.
Below are the top 4 elements you can expect from our coaching sessions.
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FORWARD THINKING: Coaching focuses on your future "self." We first define what kind of skillset you want to have, where you want to go in your career, and who you would like to be. Then we figure out exactly what we need to do to get there step by step.
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STRENGTH-BASED: We identify your core strengths, source of motivation, what energizes or excites you, and your best information processing style. Then we create the best tactics using them so that tactics are implemented easily and more naturally... because they are based on your strengths. We build a toolset that is specific to your characters, circumstances, capacity, skills, and values.
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ACCOUNTABILITIES: Every week, you will have a set of strategies to practice. In the following week, we evaluate how you did. Practice makes progress. It does not happen overnight. There will be a lot of baby steps and coaching pushes you to accumulate those baby steps to see what they all become when collected together.
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REVISE & REPEAT: We evaluate how your new strategies improved efficiency and effectiveness. We revise, adjust, or keep working on them until these strategies become your everyday habit, enhancing your self-confidence and giving momentum to keep moving forward.
Client Job types
My current clientele consists of individuals from various industries, including:
Investment Banker Management Consultant
Lawyer Professor
Entrepreneurs/Start-up CEO Editor
Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals Professional Account Executive
Finance Executive Musician
Therapist/Counselor Small Business Owner
PhD Student Researcher/Scholar
Actor
about
Aki is a certified ADHD and life coach specializing in assisting professionals to build the critical skills needed to excel as leaders. Leveraging her extensive background as a management consultant, Aki performs a comprehensive analysis to pinpoint areas of opportunity for growth and delivers valuable insights on how her clients can streamline their workflow to enhance daily productivity.
ADD COach Academy
Georgetown University
American University
ADHD Coaching/Life Coaching
Strategic Management
International Relations & Economics
AASCC
M.B.A.
B.A.
ADD COach Academy
Georgetown University
American University
ADHD Coaching/Life Coaching
Strategic Management
International Relations & Economics
AASCC
M.B.A.
B.A.
how It works
The sessions are 50 minutes.
We offer online booking for appointments up to 6 hours in advance, providing flexibility for unforeseen discussion needs.
If you need to change your appointment, please notify me no later than 12 hours before the scheduled time.
Our online booking system facilitates easy cancellation or rescheduling and enables appointment management through a personalized account. Should you require assistance or have any queries, please do not hesitate to email us.
For those interested in coaching services, we welcome you to sign up for a 45-minute discovery session at a discounted rate ($25) via this link. During this session, we discuss your unique traits and challenges and explore how coaching can effectively support your personal and professional growth.
