As a former nurse turned product manager, Gloria Folaron is no stranger to organization and time management skills, and yet they never came easy. After receiving an
Folaron is the co-founder and CEO of Leantime, which creates
"There's a stigma around ADHD that because you can't focus, there must be squirrels running around in your brain," she says. "But that's not the case. That person may be working twice as hard as somebody else who doesn't have those challenges. And if that person works twice as hard, they could be even more productive if they worked in a way that worked for their brains."
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Folaron noticed that many work organizational tools were visually overwhelming, with the platform offering too much choice and not enough structure. Users were expected just to cross things off their list or complete the module without truly understanding the purpose of the task or end goal. Folaron knew that Leantime's platform had to motivate its users differently.
Notably, dopamine, the "reward" chemical in the brain that makes people feel pleasure, is triggered by being close to or achieving a goal. This goes for everyone, not just people with ADHD. However, Folaron knew this could be key to creating a platform that felt rewarding rather than punishing for ADHD talent.
"This dopamine builds an intrinsic motivation," says Folaron. "So rather than having to motivate employees with external gifts or things like that, motivation starts to actually occur as you see progress on a goal."
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It's why Leantime's platform takes the time to inform users of the goals of their project as well as constant status updates. Folaron describes the platform as gamified, noting that when the platform introduces the project to the user, it turns the descriptions into a creative story that places the user as either a pirate, medieval knight or motivational speaker.
"It's similar to a big epic game montage," says Folaron. "Our AI takes a look at what your job role is, what the project work is and what work you're responsible for, and writes you a very personalized, fun story about what you're about to embark on."
From there, the platform is organized into two sections: think and make. Users actively choose whether they are in planning or creating mode. The platform reminds them about how much time and effort they put in, combating a sense of blindness that ADHD talent may have when it comes to how much time has passed and how much value they added, explains Folaron.
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"People with ADHD struggle with time blindness and object permanence," she says. "If you don't see it, it's out of sight out of mind. So the AI prompt will say, 'This is a great job. Look at how much value you bring to the company or project.'"
Folaron advises employers to start looking for tools that are sensitive to neurodiverse talent. She is confident that those same tools could serve neurotypical employees well too. Ultimately, resources like Leantime allow employees to access accommodations and work smarter. For Folaron, that's a win-win for employers and employees.
"You're opening up the door for better engagement, for happier employees and for better productivity," she says, "Those are opportunities in today's economy you would be hard-pressed to miss."
