The Coach-Approach To Empowering Adults with …Empowering Your Signature Strengths for a Better...

Empowering Your Signature Strengths for a Better ADHD Future

David Giwerc, MCC, MCAC, BCC

©2013 Virtual AD/HD Conference® 1

The Coach-Approach To Empowering Adults with

ADHD to Embrace their Signature Strengths

Virtual AD/HDConference, October 7, 2013

Presented By David Giwerc, MCAC, MCC, BCC

Founder and President, ADD Coach Academy,

www.ADDCA.com © 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

Objectives:

• Discover why you need to take the time to find out what you do well, and what is truly important to you

• Identify your natural patterns of performance that lead to consistent success

• Define your key virtues and values (Signature Character Strengths) that make up the core essence of who you are

• Find out how to integrate your strengths into your daily life

• Learn how to create a natural source of internal fuel to ignite your heart and head to become more productive

© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

ADHD UNDIAGNOSED & MISUNDERSTOOD

�85 % of Adults with ADHD are undiagnosed.

�They don’t understand their own ADHD

and don’t believe they possess any strengths

or are capable of success.

National Survey—Adult AD/HD

� *Survey conducted by Harris

Interactive® on behalf of the Attention

Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)

� Was released in recognition of the first

ever National Attention Deficit Disorder

Awareness Day. Survey shed light on the

importance of ADHD education.*Adult Experiences with ADHD, May 2004 prepared by Harris Interactive with the cooperation with

Eli Lilly and the Attention Deficit Disorder Association


What happens to Adults who don’t understand

their own ADHD?

�About four out of five adults with

AD/HD believe that the disorder has

held them back from:

� (87 percent) Achieving long-term

� (80 percent) Short-term goals

� (80 percent) Or pursuing their dreams


Diagnosis &Treatment: Reduce Adverse Life

Events:

� (57 percent) of adults with AD/HD said their

life has improved since being diagnosed.

� Felt relief in knowing what had been

holding them back (75 percent) and (63

percent) felt better about themselves in

general





The Brain is a magnet wired to attract problems and negativity.

�Remain attached

like Velcro

�We want to become

like Teflon


The Story You Pay Attention to Grows

� It can CATALYZE or IMMOBILIZE you.� Are you paying attention to a healthy or unhealthy

story?



of UNHEALTHY STORIES focused on what you

can’t do and focus on HEALTHY STORIES

what your unique brain CAN DO!!© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

Changing Your Story must begin

with a…

ADHD Education:

The Foundation for HEALTHY Story

Machine

(Brain) Mind (Beliefs)

Mission(Being)


The Machine (Your Brain)

�Unique Brain Wiring

�Trillions of options-

Neuro-diverse beings

�Interest, Stimulation,

Electrical Currents





The dominant thoughts you

pay attention to create…© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC © 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

The RAS, Gatekeeper, lets the

strongest charge through the gate.

converted into brain chemicals

support or impede your ability to function© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

**Executive Functions Significantly Affect ADHD

� Activation: Organizing, prioritizing to activate work—get going-Pausing

� Focus: Focusing, sustaining and shifting attention to intention of tasks etc.-Paying Attention

� Effort: Regulating alertness, sustaining effort and processing speed--Processing

� Emotion: Managing frustration & modulating emotions-Processing and Pinpointing

� Memory: Utilizing working memory & accessing recall-Pinpointing

� Action: Monitoring and self-regulating action–Planning and Proliferating

**Thomas Brown’s Model of ADHD and David Giwerc’s ADDCA model of Filtering


*Executive Functions Significantly Affect ADHD

� Self Restraint– Mind’s Brakes- Pausing

� Self- Awareness– Mind’s Mirror- Paying attention

� Engaging in Visual Imagery– Mind’s Eye-Pinpointing

� Self-talk– Mind’s Voice-Processing

� Regulate Emotions-Mind’s Heart-Processing

and Pinpointing

� Manipulate Mental Information- Mind’s playground- Planning & Proliferating

* Source for Six Executive Functions, 1) Russell Barclay, PhD, ”Taking Charge of Adult ADHD,” ) David Giwerc, MCAC, MCC, Filtering Process, “Permission to Proceed, The Keys to Creating a Life of Passion, Purpose and Possibility for Adults with ADHD.”


People with ADHD can't generate the same degree of

enthusiasm as other people for activities they don't

automatically find appealing.

The Machine: ADHD Research - Key Finding:

**2009 nine year PET Scan study, Nora Volkow, NIDA, Brookhaven National Laboratory,

Mount Sinai Medical Center © 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC





Researchers are calling ADHD an “Interest

Deficit.“

The Machine-- Research


The Mind (Your Beliefs)

�Thoughts handed down to you–personal contracts

�How do they serve you? Neuro-Plasticity

�How do they affect you?

�When will you challenge them?

Mind: What do you usually pay attention to?

© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC © 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

PESTS vs. PIGEONS

The Mind: Beliefs, the Story’s Fuel

PressurePerfectionism

ProcrastinationProblemsPessimism

PresencePractical

ProgressPossibilityPositivity

Challenging Beliefs to Progress

� The Performance Paradigm – perform

based on limited, mandatory standards

� The Weakness Warrior – fight to make your

weakness stronger to climb the ladder

� The Speed Trap —perception is enhanced

by the trap of speedy response & actions

� The Success Syndrome – Your performance

is standard for success© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

Challenging Strong Beliefs

Misguided Belief

• You can be

anything you want

to be if you just try

hard enough.

• Especially in your

weakest areas

Revised Perspective

• You cannot be

anything you want to

be but..

• You can be allot more

of who you already are






Most Organizations Focus on Weakness

�Gallup (2007) has surveyed more than 10 million

people on employee engagement or how positive and

productive people are at work.

�What percentage of employees strongly agree they have an opportunity to do what they do best, to use their strengths every day?

�Only 1/3 “strongly agree with the above statement.

� The longer an employee stays with an organization &

the higher he climbs the traditional career ladder, the less likely he is to strongly agree he is playing to his strengths.


*Gallup Poll measurement of Parent

Performance Focus1

Country Focused on A’s

UK 22%

Japan 18

China 8

France 7

U.S. 7

Canada 6

Focused on F’s

52%

43

56

87

77

83*How Full Is Your Bucket, Tom Rath, Donald O. Clifton, 2004, Gallup organization


Weakness is Culturally Pervasive and

Wreaks Havoc on ADHD

�Dominant focus on Weaknesses which many people with ADHD and our institutions already hyper focus on.

�Focusing on making weaknesses stronger doesn’t support the ADHD brain with success.

�Focusing on making your STRENGHTS stronger supports consistent success

ADHD is a DEFICIT of INTEREST and ENGAGEMENT with a Dominant

focus on Weaknesses which impairs executive functions and prevents progress.

For those who do NOT get to focus on their Strengths, the Costs are

STAGGERING…

©2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

Mind: Your Dominant, Unconscious Thoughts Can Create Reactive Patterns which:

Immobilize your ability tomove forward

Catalyze you to climb to great heights


Path of Emotional Intelligence

Spinal Cord

Limbic Systememotions- I feel

PFC- I think rationally

Limbic SystemI feel here

Spinal CordEnters brain here

Machine and Mind:




What You Pay Attention to Grows.

Mind: Pause, to pay attention to what

you are paying attention to.


Mind’s new story: “I have a Unique Brain Wiring.”


Self-Compassion: Adults with ADHD have

both strengths and weaknesses. They need to embrace and integrate them daily.


The Mission– (Your Being)

�Starts with Identifying Strengths, positive emotions

�What’s aligned and important to “Who” you are?

�When WHO you are is aligned with WHAT you do= INTEGRITY

�Momentum

Refocus Your Story Towards Strength

“Self Reflection is essential for transforming and

cultivating strengths.” Carl Honore

�Cultivating Strengths begins with the pause

created through the dialogue and active listening of

the coaching process.

�Self-Reflection requires two key executive functions an

ability to pause (Self-Regulation) and pay attention to what

you are paying attention (Self Awareness).


Identify and Integrate Your Unique Talents to Build

Strengths

�Talents, brain’s natural recurring patterns of success

�Talents only become strengths through additional skills, knowledge, experience and repetition.

�Strengths activate, energize, empower action and build self-confidence.

�Neuro-plasticity: Action and experience impact the architecture


~ *6X as likely to be

engaged in your job

~ *3X as likely to report

having an excellent

quality of life overallI

If You Use Your Strengths at Work

© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC*Gallup Organization, engagement research, 2005




Research: Managers Focus on Employees

• The chances of your being actively disengaged are:

If your manager primarily:

• 40%Ignores You

• 22%Focuses on your

Weaknesses

• 1%Focuses on your

StrengthsGallup Organization, engagement research, 2005 © 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

Paying Attention to Cultivating Habits of the Heart

WHAT: Doing

• Performance

• Head

• Reputation

• Beliefs

• Temporary

WHO: Being

• Presence

• Heart

• Character

• Knowing

• Permanent


Strength Types�Superfast Learning

�Satisfaction

�Excellence

�Consistency & Confidence�Yearning

Identifying and Cultivating Unique Strengths

Character Strengths (WHO)VIA survey- Building Blocks

Processing StylesExternal SupportADHD Coaching

Instinctive Roles: WHO/InterestStandout assessment

ADHD Strengths:Unique Differences

Context chart with

POSITIVITY: ADHD Coaching Skills


PerformanceStrengths

Finder (WHAT):Talents potential

to develop strengths

Strengths Finder� Based on a 40-year study of human

strengths, Gallup created a language

of 34 most common talents

�Developed Clifton Strengths Finder

assessment to help people discover

and describe these talents.

�Gallup surveyed over 10 million

people on employee engagement or

how positive/ productive people are

at work.

VIA Survey:

Identifies Signature Character Strengths

�Research shows the

more you use your

signature strengths

the better the well-

being

�Happy People

Cultivate Strengths


Creating a Language of Strengths

�VIA developed survey to measure

character strengths

� Taken world wide by over 2 million

people

�VIA Strengths transcend culture

remarkably similar across 54 nations

including the United States.

� Strengths are unique to each person





Justice

Teamwork

Fairness

Leadership

Temperance

Forgiveness & Mercy

Modesty & Humility

Prudence

Self-Regulation

Transcendence

Appreciation of Beauty &

Excellence

Gratitude

Hope

Humor

Religiousness & Spirituality

Wisdom and KnowledgeCreativityCuriosityJudgment & Open-MindednessLove of LearningPerspective

HumanityCapacity to Love and Be LovedKindnessSocial Intelligence

CourageBraveryPerseveranceHonestyZest


VIA Classification of Character

Strengths Virtues~ Assessment measures how well you match to 9 Roles: 1) Stimulator 2) Connector 3 )Creator 4)Pioneer 5) Influencer 6) Equalizer 7) Advisor 8) Teacher 9) Provider

~ It reveals your lead and secondary roles

~ These top two roles are the focal point of all your strengths and skills.

~ They are your instinctive way of making a difference in the world.

Standout Assessment: Your Natural Roles


Perceived Challenge Strengths Context

1) Distractibility (attention challenges) Inability to

focus on mundane or boring but important tasks

1) Find ways to make the mundane more

interesting

2) Mental Restlessness (Hyperactivity)

Excess energy has nowhere to go in boring,

situations not engaged

2) Looking for new ideas that stimulate them to

effectively use their excess energy

3) Nonstop ideas/connections Preponderance of

thoughts that occur. Can’t capture any of them while

trying to focus on all of them

3) Idea machines. Make intuitive leaps and

creative connections. Excellent brainstormers

4) Procrastination: Delaying choices to take action with

important goals, tasks, or projects

4) Very high standards and expectations. Able to

take time to carefully analyze the situation and

respond responsibly

5) Lack of impulse control (spending, blurting)

Inability to modulate or manage reactions and

emotions

*White/Shaw,, Journal Personality and Individual Differences,

2011

5) Quick and spontaneous- *Leads to creativity ,

Fast, genuine responses ―”CreaUvity is impulsivity

gone right.” – Ned Hallowell, author of Driven to

Distraction.-- Willing risk takers


Copyright, ADD Coach Academy, 2013

Sustaining

(Paying Attention)

Understanding

(Comprehending)

Identifying Processing Modes

Visual – Verbal – Kinesthetic

Auditory – Tactile – Conceptual

Emotional- Intuitive


The Power of the Pause:

�Promotes mindfulness

� Improves Executive

Functions and ability to access important

memories

�Reduces impulsivity-better choices

�Helps identify

strengths & success

�Cultivates your inner witness


Coaching & Cultivating Your Objective, Inner

Witness:�Deep vs. Shallow Breathing

� Kind vs. Critical

�Accepting vs. Non-judgmental

�Detached vs. Attached

� Embrace all of who you are

including your strengths

�Acknowledging 4:1 ratio






VIA Strengths Profile: Five Signature Character Strengths, comfortable and natural: 1) Creativity 2. Curiosity 3. Gratitude 4. Honesty 5. Fairness

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strengths Finder 2.0: Identify areas where you have the

greatest potential to develop strengths: 1) Activator

2) Maximizer 3) Ideation 4) Strategic 5) Positivity

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standout Assessment: Two top roles focal point of your

talents and skills: 1. Stimulator and 2. Connector

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADHD Strengths Context: Distraction vs. Interest,

Restlessness, Cognitive Hyperactivity– Creative Brainstorming

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Processing Styles: Visual/Verbal/Kinesthetic

Strengths Developmental Profile & Inventory, SDPI ADHD Coaching & Filtering

�Questioning/Receiving

PAUSE: STOP to objectively notice

�Questioning/Receiving/

Witnessing

PAY ATTENTION to what you are paying attention to

�Witnessing /Filtering

PROCESS Identify, name it without judging it.

�Witnessing/Reinventing

PINPOINT a Prompt to remember a positive outcome

�Reinventing/Activating/

Filtering

PURSUE action aligned with your objective head and passionate heart

�Activating/Filtering

PRODUCE via action without any attachment. Embrace the results for growth.


Metaphorically, Coaches develop and use three

internal instruments

• The Microscope–

• The Telescope-

• The Stethoscope-


Magical Moments on the Mountain

Revisiting, Savoring buried experience and associated

positive emotions.© 2001-2013 ADD Coach Academy, LLC

Savoring the Positive Emotions and

Experiences that shape our lives�Vast emotional states other than: mad, glad, sad,

surprised, and afraid---

� Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, in her book “Positivity” explains the 10 most common positive emotions-

� Focused of most of her research found these emotions most often shape peoples’ lives.


Positive Emotions: Broaden and Build

• Broadens people’s ideas for possible actions opening new

awareness to more expansive and broader range of

possibilities than the typical, traditional options. You build

resources, assets and abilities for the future.

• Joy sparks the urge to be creative and play

• Interest sparks the urge to learn and explore

• Serenity sparks the urge to savor current surroundings and

integrate them into anew view of ourselves and the world

around us.





• Provides a strong positive

context to activate the brain.

• Use prompts to stop barriers

and access bridges to memory

Coaching Magical Moments provides

Intention for your Inner GPS: Past,

Present, Possibility


Gulp vs. Sip

ImpulsivityPrompts-- ADDentifier:

Piece vs. Peace

Attention

ADDentifier:


Prompts: One shot at a time


One Domino Can Make Them all Fall

Prompts: Emotional Intelligence

�Ladder that rests against a WALL is stronger than a straight ladder

�You can’t do it all by yourself and flourish

� Choose your wall very carefully

Memory Prompts






I Live in a Castle and no one enters my

drawbridge unless they:

�Respect who I am and

what I stand for.

�Are supportive of me

and I will reciprocate.

The Desert Represents Total Freedom

� Total detachment and

freedom from other

peoples standards

� There are no limitations in

the desert.

�No one owns the desert

and everyone is free to

act as they choose.


The Last Five Minutes of the Day--INTENTION

Before I go to bed I ask/answer one or both of these

questions:1) What three things I am grateful for?

2) What three good things happened today?

After I have answered, one of the two above,

I also choose a question to ponder:• What do I hope for?

• What do I aspire to become?

• What dream is possible?

• What movie will I create?

• What song shall I sing?

• What game shall I play?

• What story shall I read or write?

• What empowering message

can I convey?

• Who will I acknowledge/appreciate today?


The Coach-Approach To Empowering Adults with …Empowering Your Signature Strengths for a Better...

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