Have you ever stopped to think about the relationship between productivity and conflict? It is worth exploring—especially if you’re managing a team. Here’s a fun thought exercise: How do you and your support staff communicate? 

Are your directions being followed—or are they often misunderstood? Perhaps team members are spending precious time on tasks someone else in the firm should handle. Frustrating, right?

Well, if there’s underlying interpersonal conflict or miscommunication going unnoticed, you can bet that your firm isn’t firing on all cylinders.

The Communication Gap: Where Frustration Lives

Think about the levels of frustration in your office. It might not just be you feeling it; your team likely is, too. Just because you have a particular system or way of organizing tasks, doesn’t mean it works for everyone. Maybe you love planning your day in two-hour blocks or with daily themes, but if your team struggles to match your rhythm, you’re in for a communication breakdown.

Now, let’s spice things up by adding ADHD into the mix. Communicating effectively is tough enough, but throw ADHD in, and it becomes a whole new challenge.

ADHD: The Curveball in Conversations

ADHD might cause the person in a conversation to hyperfocus and dive in intensely or do the opposite and appear disinterested because their mind has gone elsewhere. This DOES not mean the person with ADHD doesn’t care or is arrogant it simply means they are either in or out of the conversation but rarely in the middle. And when the person in front of you is challenged by  ADHD you can bet they  are putting in a lot of energy reigning in their attention so they can  stay engaged in the conversation. 

This kind of back-and-forth—where someone is zoning in or out—can quickly lead to misunderstandings, which of course means a drop in productivity. And guess what follows that? Conflict.

So, What Can You Do?

There are ways to dial this in and create smoother communication. And the best part? When communication improves, so does productivity—and you might even put out a few fires along the way.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Know Your Own Style: Are you saying way more than you need to? Scale it back! If you’re giving lengthy instructions, your audience is likely tuning out halfway through.
2. Go Beyond Verbal: Use visual aids, checklists, online tools, or even a simple handwritten note to reinforce your message. Not everyone processes information the same way.
3. Clarify Understanding: Don’t just assume people got it. Ask! Ensure there’s mutual understanding before moving forward.
4. Set Routine Communication: Establish a regular, expected time to communicate important updates. Surprises are fun at birthdays—not when it comes to work.
5. Ask What Works Best for Them: Different people have different preferences for how they receive information. Find out what clicks for each person you’re talking to.

When you make communication crystal clear—covering goals, methods, and the impact—you’ll watch productivity rise as conflict caused by misunderstandings fades. It’s not magic, but it’s pretty close.