ADHD at Work: How Accounting Managers Can Find Focus and Flow

The Critical Role of Accounting Managers

Accounting Managers are essential to the financial health and regulatory compliance of any organization. They oversee daily accounting operations, manage teams, prepare financial statements, ensure accurate reporting, and maintain internal controls. Their responsibilities also include budgeting, audits, reconciliations, and supervising payroll and tax reporting—all while ensuring everything aligns with both organizational goals and legal standards.

In short, Accounting Managers are the bridge between financial data and strategic decisions, making their accuracy, consistency, and leadership vital to business success.

April 2025, CJ Pringle, ADHD Coach @ Agave Health

Common ADHD Challenges for Accounting Managers

Accounting is a field rooted in consistency, precision, and attention to detail—which can sometimes clash with the ADHD brain’s tendency toward impulsivity, distractibility, or time blindness. Here are some of the most common struggles:

• Overwhelm from High Volumes of Detail-Oriented Work

  • Tracking receipts, invoices, and reconciliations across multiple accounts can be mentally exhausting and easy to lose track of.

  • ADHD may lead to missed entries, small calculation errors, or difficulty double-checking work consistently.

• Time Blindness and Deadline Pressure

  • Month-end close, audits, and reporting deadlines stack up fast.

  • ADHDers may struggle to pace their work, often underestimating how long tasks will take and falling behind.

• Avoidance of Tedious or Repetitive Tasks

  • Tasks like journal entries, reconciliations, or audit prep can feel monotonous and mentally draining.

  • ADHD brains often avoid low-stimulation work, leading to last-minute crunches or incomplete documentation.

• Struggles with Task Switching and Interruptions

  • Accounting managers often shift between reviewing team work, jumping on meetings, and diving into reports.

  • ADHD can make it hard to transition smoothly or refocus after being interrupted.

• Organizing Research and Reports Efficiently

  • Without clear systems in place, files, notes, and spreadsheets may become disorganized, making it difficult to locate key information quickly.

Tips and Tricks for Accounting Managers with ADHD

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but these strategies can help Accounting Managers lean into their strengths and create a structure that works:

• Create a Standardized Daily Flow

  • Begin each day with a 10-minute planning ritual to list top priorities and deadlines.

  • Use a consistent checklist or recurring template for common routines like closing books or preparing financial reports.

• Break Work into Focus Sprints

  • Use timeboxing or the Pomodoro method to complete repetitive or complex tasks in short, focused intervals (25-45 minutes).

  • Alternate “boring but necessary” work with more engaging tasks to maintain energy throughout the day.

• Use Visual Dashboards and Timelines

  • Visual tools like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or color-coded Excel sheets can help track financial cycles, due dates, and status updates at a glance.

• Automate and Template Everything You Can

  • Set up recurring calendar reminders, automated workflows, and pre-formatted templates for financial reports and reviews to reduce repetitive thinking and save time.

• Delegate Strategically and Check In Consistently

  • Identify which tasks drain you and which ones you’re uniquely good at—delegate where possible.

  • Schedule short but regular check-ins with your team to stay aligned and avoid surprises near deadlines.

• Reduce Context Switching

  • Group similar tasks (like approvals or reconciliations) together into blocks. Avoid toggling between meetings, deep analysis, and data entry all in the same hour.

• Implement an End-of-Day Reset

  • Spend 10-15 minutes reviewing what’s complete, updating task trackers, and setting up the next day. This reduces clutter, worry, and mental fog the next morning.

How ADHD Coaching Can Help Accounting Managers Succeed

As an Accounting Manager, you're expected to be organized, accurate, consistent, and calm under pressure—which can feel daunting when you’re also managing the executive function challenges of ADHD. But with the right support, those challenges can be turned into powerful strengths. ADHD coaching through Agave Health offers customized strategies to help you:

• Build consistent workflows that reduce overwhelm

• Improve time awareness and meet financial deadlines with confidence

• Stay focused on routine tasks without burning out

• Use your natural problem-solving strengths to lead effectively

• Create sustainable systems for yourself and your team

If you’re tired of feeling behind, anxious before audits, or like you’re working twice as hard just to stay afloat—Agave Health can help you regain control, reduce stress, and find confidence in your leadership role.