ADHD Coaching, Workplace Conflict and What Great Inclusion Actually Looks Like (Part 3)

In the final part of her conversation with Ellie Kay, ADHD and AuDHD coach and neurodiversity specialist, Anna moves into coaching, conflict, and what genuinely inclusive management looks like in practice. Ellie explains what ADHD coaching actually involves and why it is different from traditional coaching. For many people, especially those newly diagnosed, it starts with validation: finally feeling heard, understood, and released from years of shame about things that were never their fault. Ellie also introduces the concept of co-coaching, a facilitated three-way conversation between a coach, a manager, and an employee that can resolve tension before it ever reaches a formal process. The conversation gets into the specifics of what managers do that unknowingly causes harm. Cancelling meetings with no context, sending a message that just says "can we have a quick chat", or copying someone into a long email about an investigation without any warning. For someone with ADHD, these small things can derail an entire day. The fix, as Ellie makes clear, is often just a few extra words of context. Anna and Ellie close with a rapid-fire round that distils the whole conversation into practical, immediately usable takeaways: the one question every manager should ask, the one behaviour they should rethink, and the one leadership habit that creates real inclusion. Ellie also shares something personal: how her ADHD diagnosis helped her finally forgive herself for missing a smear test that led to cervical cancer in her 20s. It is a powerful reminder of why diagnosis matters, and why the shame that goes with undiagnosed neurodivergence has real consequences. Find out more about Ellie's work at https://www.elliekay.co.uk Connect with Anna: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk