ADHD at Work: Staying in Control as an Operations Manager

The Backbone of Day-to-Day Business: Ops Managers

Operations Managers are the logistical masterminds behind a company’s day-to-day execution. They ensure everything, from people to processes to performance, runs smoothly and efficiently.

Their role spans across departments, overseeing production workflows, supply chain coordination, vendor relationships, staffing, safety, scheduling, budgeting, and process improvement. They’re the go-to people for putting out fires and preventing new ones. Operations Managers balance long-term planning with real-time problem-solving. Without them, organizations risk disorganization, inefficiencies, and unmet goals.

August 2025, CJ Pringle, ADHD Coach @ Agave Health

Executive Function Challenges in the Ops World

Operations management demands structure, consistency, and strategic foresight; areas where ADHD can cause friction without support. Here are some common struggles:

1. Managing Multiple Priorities Across Departments

• Constantly shifting demands can make it hard to stay focused on long-term goals.

• ADHD can lead to reactive decision-making instead of strategic leadership.

2. Struggles with Time Management and Planning

• Tight schedules and complex timelines can trigger time blindness, procrastination, or last-minute scrambles.

3. Difficulty Switching Between Big Picture and Small Details

• ADHD may cause hyperfocus on either macro or micro aspects, leading to missed steps or miscommunication.

4. Avoidance of Administrative or Repetitive Tasks

• Low-dopamine tasks like reports or inventory logs often get delayed, creating operational bottlenecks.

5. Emotional Reactivity in High-Stress Situations

• ADHD can make it harder to regulate emotions during conflict or crisis, affecting clear-headed leadership.

Tools and Tactics for Staying Grounded in Chaos

Success in operations management isn’t about being perfect; it’s about building reliable systems and using your strengths strategically. Try these:

✅ Use Dashboards to Keep Priorities Visible

• Tools like Airtable, ClickUp, or Monday.com can simplify oversight.

• Visualize key metrics, open issues, and project timelines at a glance.

✅ Implement a Weekly Planning Ritual

• Block 30–60 minutes weekly to review KPIs and recalibrate goals.

• This helps you lead proactively instead of reacting to chaos.

✅ Delegate with Clear Systems

• Use checklists, SOPs, and templates—don’t rely on memory.

• Tools like Slack or Teams can keep collaboration organized.

✅ Break Admin Work into Microtasks

• Chunk tasks into smaller sprints.

• Pair boring tasks with a motivator like coffee, music, or a small reward.

✅ Limit Decision Fatigue with Pre-Made Defaults

• Standardize responses to common scenarios (e.g., delays, shortages).

• Reduce analysis paralysis and keep things moving.

✅ Practice Reset Routines for Stressful Moments

• Pause and take a breath before reacting.

• Try a quick walk, grounding technique, or write down reactive thoughts to process them.

How Agave Health Supports Operations Managers with ADHD

As an operations manager, you’re solving problems, juggling deadlines, and keeping countless moving parts in motion. When you’re also managing ADHD, it can feel like the chaos is coming from every direction—inside and out.

At Agave Health, we specialize in helping professionals like you find structure, clarity, and confidence—without the burnout.

Our ADHD coaching is designed to meet you where you are and help you:

• Build sustainable systems to manage priorities and workflows

• Strengthen time awareness and follow through on long-term plans

• Communicate and delegate more effectively with your team

• Regulate emotions and lead with confidence in high-pressure moments

• Leverage your strengths, like adaptability, creative problem-solving, and big-picture thinking

You don’t have to keep holding everything together on your own. With ADHD coaching from Agave Health, you can lead with clarity, not just cope with the chaos.