Tip: What People with OCD Can Add to the Business World

Note: In the below post, when I say “People with OCD” I am speaking generally as obviously we are all our own unique individuals with our own thoughts, ideas, likes, dislikes, etc.

So far on this blog I have talked a lot about what people with OCD need to watch out for in their respective work spaces and how they need to be prepared for whatever OCD throws at them. And while I think this information is important, the topic itself can end up feeling a bit negative as the subject matter is basically “here’s how OCD is going to try to ruin your life and what you should do about it”. So, I wanted to focus on a more positive theme today–how people with OCD can contribute at work in a productive manner. I think the natural assumption would be that people with a mental illness would simply be less valuable than their mentally sound counterparts. However not only is grouping large amounts of diverse people by one attribute a flawed approach, but also there are specific ways in which people with OCD can prove particularly helpful.

For example, does your company need someone who is detail-oriented and will make every aspect of the project is completed? Look no further than a person with OCD! In general, OCD people are often more cautious by nature than their “normal” counterparts and this trait can actually be very helpful when tackling certain assignments. I know it was true for me as I would frequently double and even triple check to make sure tasks had been completed by me (and my coworkers) in the proper manner. People with OCD do need to strike a delicate balance however and make sure they aren’t checking too many times or micromanaging their coworkers as that can be anxiety-provoking and counterproductive. Rather on certain projects, your OCD tendencies can be “utilized” in that you will be more inclined to double-check and ensure everything is running smoothly, but also make sure to pull yourself back if the checking starts to feel compulsive.

Creative, outside-the-box thinking is another method through which people with OCD can positively affect work-related projects. Our OCD minds are constantly running through every possibility and scenario as it pertains to our OCD worries, and so I promise we (people with OCD) would much rather direct this comprehensive thought process towards ideas that we enjoyed rather than the OCD ones we hate. Someone who has thought of 100 different ways to self-harm is also a strong candidate to think of multiple different avenues to approach a project (some of which may have even been related in some way to the self-harm thoughts). And obviously, these positive traits will not belong to every person with OCD, but there also might be some other attributes (of people with OCD) I didn’t even mention that could bring value to the workplace. People with OCD being respectful to a fault of their colleagues is another that comes to mind (as we are overly anxious that we will say or do something that upsets them). The point is that even though people with OCD are working to overcome their mental illness, that doesn’t that they should be treated as an office black hole. Not only can they often function at the same productivity level as their colleagues, but also there are aspects of their mindset that can add unexpected and beneficial value to the workplace.