ADHD at Work: Staying Aligned and Agile as a Product Manager

CJ Pringle
Sep 23
3 min read

Why PMs Are the Nerve Center of Tech Teams

Product Managers (PMs) are the bridge between engineering, design, marketing, and customers. They define product vision, prioritize features, write requirements, run stand-ups, and guide cross-functional teams toward building solutions that deliver on time, on budget, and with impact.

In fast-moving environments like AI, SaaS, or hardware, PMs also translate complex engineering goals into clear product outcomes, anticipate edge cases, manage stakeholder expectations, and iterate quickly. Whether it’s APIs, firmware updates, or deploying ML models, PMs must think strategically, execute tactically, and communicate effectively across disciplines.

September 2025, CJ Pringle, ADHD Coach @ Agave Health

Two people focus intently on a laptop in a modern office. One points at the screen. Bright lighting and a glass wall in the background.

Top 5 ADHD Pain Points for PMs

PMs live in a world of shifting priorities, endless meetings, and constant context-switching, all of which can tax ADHD brains that crave clarity and momentum. Here’s how ADHD may show up in this role:

1. Prioritization Paralysis

With 50+ backlog items, tech debt, and stakeholder requests, it’s hard to decide what matters most.
ADHDers may overcommit or shift priorities too frequently.

2. Difficulty Managing Context Switching

PMs bounce between user interviews, Jira grooming, sprint planning, metrics reviews, and executive syncs.
ADHD brains can burn out quickly from fractured attention.

3. Avoidance of Tedious or Detail-Oriented Tasks

Writing specs, tracking dependencies, and updating dashboards can feel draining.
Procrastination or inconsistency may creep in.

4. Working Memory Gaps & Information Overload

Details from meetings or blockers in stand-up can slip.
Things get dropped; not from lack of care, but from invisible overload.

5. Emotional Reactivity in High-Stakes Conversations

PMs often need to say no or manage conflicts.
ADHD can make impulsiveness or sensitivity to feedback more challenging.

ADHD Tools and Systems Every PM Should Try

ADHDers bring curiosity, systems thinking, and fast synthesis; true superpowers for PMs. The key is creating structure to harness those strengths.

1. Build a “PM Operating System”

Use tools like Notion, Asana, or ClickUp.
Add Jira swim lanes and daily dashboards with the top 3 priorities.
Keeps your brain in mission-control mode, not chaos mode.

2. Block Time by Mental Mode (Not Task Type)

Deep Work Blocks for specs or roadmap planning
Comms Blocks for email, Slack, and updates
Light Admin for Jira cleanup or documentation

3. Use Templates for Repetitive Work

Create templates for feature specs, retros, and reports.
Saves energy and avoids reinventing the wheel.

4. Log Decisions Immediately

Capture “Decisions made,” “Follow-ups,” and “Who’s doing what.”
Use rolling docs or voice memos so details don’t vanish.

5. Practice “Pause → Prioritize → Push Forward”

Ask: Does this align with OKRs? Is this urgent or just loud? What needs to shift?
Prevents derailment by impulse or pressure.

6. Build a “Backlog of Brilliance”

Park feature ideas, experiments, and improvements.
Honors creativity without derailing short-term focus.

How Agave Health Supports Product Managers with ADHD

Being a Product Manager with ADHD often means excelling at vision, creativity, and big-picture strategy, while struggling with follow-through, emotional regulation, or juggling fast-moving details. At Agave Health, we help you turn that innovative mind into a powerful operational advantage.

With our ADHD-informed coaching and therapy, PMs can: