I don't know about you, but this is something I would have difficulty "fixing" without a better feel for how much detail is too much/not enough. See if you can have "practice" conversations with someone who knows you well where you pretend you're talking about something with your supervisor and they give you feedback regarding the thoroughness of your response. I would do this with a friend or colleague that is familiar with how you communicate at work in general (or better, with your supervisor). This may help you reset your internal detail counter. My therapist makes me do rehearsals of important conversations sometimes, and they really do make a difference.

Communication questions can be sticky, though, especially out of context. Since I know neither you nor your supervisor, then, by all means take this with a grain of salt! But definitely give yourself a pat on the back for all of the positive feedback you got!

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Hi ADDmom:

I don't know enough about your work or situation to say for certain what will help you see the forest for the trees, but here are some pointers to consider...

1. Really concentrate on hearing what the other person is saying 2. Before adding your own thoughts, try to repeat back to them the main point of their words ("So, what you're saying is...") 3. Ask for help in prioritizing... ("So, based on what you're saying, do you agree that we should tackle X first, and then Y?")

If nothing else, it will become abundantly clear that you are making an effort to listen and to concentrate on the big picture.

Here is another article that might help... Are You Listening? How to Shine in Social Settings with ADHD

I hope this helps!

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I used to write long emails to my superiors. I thought they contained everything that he/she needed to know. One boss told me to answer his question first, then supply details if needed. He said to start replies with "Yes, ..." or "No, ..." where the ellipsis was a short repeat of the question. I work with a number of co-workers who have personalities similar to mine. To help them I try to include a question in conversations. My final question always is "Do you have any questions?"

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Hi there,

I have this problem as well. I find it helps to run a mental filter over my thoughts before speaking by asking myself if everything about to come out of my mouth is 'relevant' or 'necessary' for the other person to get the point. If your brain works as fast as mine, you can probably do this as you are starting to speak.

Good luck!

p.s. No really, I do have this problem... I wanted to write about 5 paragraphs and decided to take my own advice ;)

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One thing I have done is take a Businiess Communication and Report Writing class. Classes get easier when your on meds. This class can be found at any community college. It has improved my writing. I noiticed a different with in a couple of months with my writing at work improving. If you can't afford a class.... remember that for each issue you write about youi need who, what, where, when, how information. I get mired in the details and never see the big picture. So slow down. Have someone proofread what you write(i do this for everything I write now... I do mean everything). There are ways to work through this.

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I also have this problem, which my husband has helped me with. He explained that I should first answer the question as briefly as possible, and then look for clues that the person wants more. Sometimes their silence is an invitation, but don't assume silence is consent. Look at their face, if you give them more information and their eyes start to glaze over or they look at their watch, etc. finish immediately. The best response is if they ask questions; then you should provide more info. Adding additional tidbits of information is okay, but don't go overboard. They will come back to you if they need more.

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