A free 45-minute Introductory Call. No obligation and no pitch-deck — a conversation about what's actually going on and whether this is the right fit.

ADHD Coaching Without Productivity Hacks

Q: Are you anti-productivity?

No. Productivity has its place and I use tools myself. The point is that coaching which leads with tools misidentifies the problem for most ADHD leaders, and the leaders end up more exhausted, not less.

Q: Where are you based?

Canary Wharf, London. Coaching is delivered online with leaders globally and in person with London-based leaders on coaching walks in Canary Wharf.

ADHD coaching without productivity hacks is coaching that treats ADHD as a different cognitive wiring, not a time-management problem. Instead of stacking more apps, timers, and task systems on top of an already-exhausted brain, it works on what’s underneath — the masking, the self-judgement, the leadership role you’re trying to perform in a way your brain wasn’t built for.

Productivity hacks aren’t wrong. Most ADHD people have tried a lot of them and got something out of some. They hit a ceiling though, especially once you’re in a leadership role, because the problem you’re actually trying to solve isn’t “I need a better to-do app.” It’s usually closer to: I’m running two operating systems at the same time and one of them is a performance.

I’m Tony Piper — an ADHD, autistic leadership coach, based in Canary Wharf, London. I work with ADHD tech leaders globally online and in person on coaching walks in Canary Wharf. My coaching doesn’t sell productivity hacks. This page explains what it does instead, and how to tell if a coach is the real deal or a rebranded productivity trainer.

What “without productivity hacks” actually means

The difference isn’t ideological. It’s about where the coach points.

A productivity-hack coach points at your calendar. The assumption is that if you set your systems up correctly, the ADHD stops mattering.
A non-productivity-hack coach points at your relationship with yourself, your role, and your work. The assumption is that ADHD is part of how you think — not a bug to patch.

Under the productivity-hack model, success looks like: fewer missed deadlines, a tidier inbox, a better-implemented Pomodoro. Under the alternative model, success looks like: less self-criticism, clearer decisions, fewer things in your week, and a leadership style that doesn’t require you to pretend to be someone else.

The hacks-free approach overlaps heavily with subtractive coaching. The goal is to remove what’s in the way — including the ever-growing stack of productivity tooling — rather than add another layer to optimise around.

Green flags — a coach who isn’t selling you hacks

When you’re evaluating an ADHD coach and you want one who treats ADHD as wiring rather than a workflow problem, look for:

Talks about identity and relationships before systems. The opening questions are about how you relate to your work, not what software you use.
Has a point of view on masking. They can name it, they can spot it, and they don’t treat it as a side-issue.
Doesn’t promise metrics. “Your inbox will be at zero” / “you’ll get 40% more done” is the language of productivity consulting, not coaching.
Works with emotions as information. Overwhelm, shame, boredom, intensity — treated as signal, not friction to manage around.
Will tell you when not to hire them. If they think coaching isn’t what you need right now (e.g. you need therapy, rest, or to quit a bad job), they say so.
Has their own story with ADHD or neurodivergence or has serious, long-term experience coaching ND clients. Either is fine; performative acknowledgment without experience is not.
Doesn’t hand you a framework on day one. Frameworks are fine later if they fit; leading with one means they coach the model, not you.

Red flags — when it’s productivity hacking wearing a coaching badge

Conversely, these are the tells that “coaching” is going to be a repackaged productivity course:

Branded method with a number in it. “My 5-step ADHD Success System™.” It’s a course, not coaching.
Heavy emphasis on apps and tools in the sales material. A coach’s job isn’t to teach you Notion.
Promises outcomes no one can control — salary jumps, specific title changes, “take back your life.” Coaches work on process, not outcomes.
One-size-fits-all programme with a fixed curriculum for every client. ADHD presents differently in every person; programmed sessions don’t reflect that.
Can’t explain how they think ADHD works. If you ask “what’s your model?” and you get marketing slogans, move on.
Group-coaching-as-default with no individual work. Group coaching is fine for some things; as the only offering it’s a scale play, not depth.
Refers to ADHD as a superpower without qualification. See also: neurodivergence is not a superpower.

What I do instead of hacks

Specifically, in a coaching session with me, here’s where the attention goes:

The leadership role you’re in now. Is it the role you think it is? Are you performing someone else’s version of it? What would it look like to do the role as yourself?
The masking. What parts of you are you hiding at work, and what’s it costing you to hide them? Which parts can come back out safely?
Decisions you’re sitting on. Not because you don’t know the answer — usually you do — but because you’re running a long internal committee vetting it first.
Your pattern recognition. ADHD brains often see five moves ahead. Then doubt the insight. Then wait for someone else to say it. We work on trusting the signal earlier.
What to stop doing. Leaders end up with commitments they inherited, performance behaviours they don’t need, and tooling they tolerated. Subtraction is usually where the biggest wins are.

Questions about ADHD coaching without productivity hacks

What is ADHD coaching without productivity hacks?

It’s coaching that treats ADHD as a different cognitive wiring, not a time-management problem. Instead of adding apps, timers, and task systems, the work is on masking, self-judgement, the role you’re performing, and the costs of performing it. It overlaps with subtractive coaching — fewer tools, not more.

Do productivity hacks actually help with ADHD?

Some do, in narrow ways. External structures — calendars, reminders, body doubling, co-working, visible deadlines — reduce cognitive load for a lot of ADHD people. The ceiling comes when the underlying issue isn’t “my system is broken” but “I’m running this role on masking.” No hack fixes that; more hacks usually make it worse.

Why isn’t productivity-hacking enough for ADHD leaders?

Because leadership work isn’t primarily tasks. It’s decisions, judgement, presence in a room, emotional timing, and how you hold yourself when things are uncertain. Productivity hacks optimise task flow. They don’t touch the parts of leadership that exhaust ADHD leaders the most.

How do I know if a coach is a real ADHD coach or just a productivity consultant?

Look at their opening questions. A productivity consultant asks what tools you use. A coach asks how you relate to your work, your role, and yourself. Ask them to describe their model of ADHD — if you get a slogan, keep looking.

Are you anti-productivity?

No. Productivity has its place. I use tools myself. The point is that coaching that leads with tools misidentifies the problem for most ADHD leaders, and the leaders end up more exhausted, not less.

What kinds of leaders do you work with?

Mostly ADHD and otherwise neurodivergent tech leaders — CTOs, VPs of engineering, heads of product, staff-plus engineers moving into leadership. Many diagnosed as adults; many figuring it out. No diagnosis required.

Where are you based?

Canary Wharf, London. I work online with leaders globally and in person with London-based leaders on coaching walks in Canary Wharf.

How do we start?

A free 45-minute Introductory Call. No obligation, no pitch-deck. A conversation about what’s actually going on and whether this is the right fit.