ADHD at Work: What Every Line Manager Needs to Know

If you manage people, chances are someone on your team has ADHD, whether they have told you or not. In this episode, Anna is joined by Ellie Kay, an ICF-accredited ADHD and AuDHD coach, neurodiversity specialist, workplace mediator, and keynote speaker. Ellie was diagnosed with combined-type ADHD at 45, after more than two decades running her own business, and now uses that lived experience alongside deep professional expertise to help both individuals and organisations navigate neurodiversity at work. Ellie shares what it felt like to finally get her diagnosis, why so many adults and particularly women go undiagnosed for years, and how ADHD can look very different from the stereotypes most of us grew up with. From hyperfocus and creative thinking to time blindness, people-pleasing, and struggles with admin, this conversation paints a much fuller picture of what ADHD actually looks like day to day in a working environment. Anna and Ellie explore the practical role line managers play in supporting neurodivergent team members, and why curiosity is the single most important skill you can bring to those conversations. Rather than trying to fix or diagnose, Ellie makes the case for a strengths-based approach that helps people thrive where they naturally excel, while putting the right support in place for the areas where they struggle. They also tackle the question of psychological safety: why some employees are reluctant to disclose their diagnosis, what good and bad manager responses look like, and how to open a conversation even when you are not sure what to say. This is part one of a three-part conversation with Ellie. Part two covers the different types of ADHD, how it intersects with autism, and how managers can ask better questions. Find out more about Ellie's work at elliekay.co.uk Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find Anna on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.athrconsultancy.co.uk