Executive Function at Work: How Leaders and HR Teams Can Reduce Cognitive Overload.

Ask a founder what slows their company down and the answer is usually strategy, funding or hiring. Ask what slows their own day and it sounds different: the inbox, back-to-back meetings, and a document they have meant to open for three weeks.

This article covers what research says about cognitive overload and executive function at work, and what founders, HR, DEI and L&D leaders can change.

Key takeaways

• Modern work arrives in fragments. Microsoft's 2025 data shows employees are interrupted roughly every two minutes during core hours, and Gloria Mark's research puts average time on one screen at about 47 seconds.
• Executive function, the set of mental skills used to start, prioritise, switch and finish tasks, is the capacity under strain. Overload affects everyone and is felt most where these skills are already harder to use, including for many people with ADHD.
• About 2.6% of adults worldwide have persistent ADHD and about 6.8% have current symptoms (Song et al., 2021), and Australian clinical guidance cites 2% to 6% of adults (AADPA, 2022), so most teams include affected people whether or not anyone has disclosed.
• Three transitions drain capacity: starting, stepping away and restarting. If-then plans and ready-to-resume notes have research support.
• In NSW, role overload is a named psychosocial hazard that employers must manage, so workload design is a compliance matter as well as a performance one.
• Adjustments are usually inexpensive. JobAccess reports that most workplace adjustments in Australia cost less than $1,000, yet 40% of Australians expect the cost to be significant.

Cognitive overload occurs when the demands on attention and working memory exceed what a person can process well. It affects executives, managers and entire teams, and it is felt most by people whose executive function is already harder to access, including many with ADHD.

What cognitive overload looks like at work

Several large datasets show how much of modern work pushes toward overload.

• Constant interruption. Microsoft's 2025 Work Trend Index found employees are interrupted every two minutes during core hours, about 275 times a day, by meetings, emails and notifications (Microsoft, 2025). In the same research, 48% of employees and 52% of leaders said their work feels chaotic and fragmented, and 80% of workers globally said they lack the time and energy to do their work (CNBC, 2025).

• Constant switching. A Harvard Business Review study of 137 people at three Fortune 500 companies found they switched between apps and websites around 1,200 times a day, spending just under four hours a week reorienting, about 9% of their time at work (HBR, 2022).

• Shrinking attention on a single screen. Gloria Mark of UC Irvine reports that the average time people spend on one screen before switching fell from about two and a half minutes in 2004 to about 47 seconds in recent years (Mark, 2023).

• Time that does not match priorities. A McKinsey survey of nearly 1,500 executives found only 9% were very satisfied with how they spent their time, and only 52% said their time largely matched their organisation's strategic priorities (McKinsey Quarterly, 2013). The survey is older, and the Microsoft data points the same way.

These figures describe work environments, which is why individual fixes such as a new planner or app rarely stick. In fact, often, new "productivity hacks" just create more weight to our cognitive backpacks. 

Executive function: the skills behind getting work done

Executive function is the set of skills used to plan, prioritise, begin tasks, hold information in mind, switch between activities and manage impulses and emotions. Task initiation, starting something without an external push, is one of these skills. Task switching is another.

Knowledge work draws on all of them at once. A leader reviewing a proposal has to keep the goal in mind, resist the pull of the inbox, decide what to do first and return to the document after every interruption. When the environment keeps interrupting, these skills are in constant demand. In coaching practice, the effects tend to show up as slow starts, abandoned tasks, over-refining and decision paralysis. 

Who is affected: ADHD, neurodiversity and inclusive design

Overload is universal, but it falls unevenly. Executive function challenges are central to ADHD, and ADHD is more common in the workforce than many organisations assume.

A global meta-analysis of population studies estimated that 2.58% of adults have persistent ADHD, meaning childhood onset that continues into adulthood, and 6.76% have symptomatic ADHD, meaning current symptoms regardless of childhood onset (Song et al., 2021). In a company of 1,000 people, that is roughly 26 people with persistent ADHD and up to 68 with symptoms. These are general population estimates, prevalence declines with age, and many adults are undiagnosed, so any single workplace will differ.

Australian estimates fall in a similar range. Australian clinical guidance cites adult ADHD prevalence of 2% to 6% and estimates that more than 800,000 Australians have ADHD (AADPA, 2022). In an Australian company of 1,000 people, that range works out to 20 to 60 people. The social and economic burden of ADHD in Australia has been estimated at US$12.76 billion a year (Sciberras et al., 2022, as reported in the JNZCCP review listed in the references). That figure covers social and economic costs in general and is not limited to workplace productivity.

Workplace outcome data is older. A WHO World Mental Health survey of 7,075 workers aged 18 to 44 in ten countries estimated that 3.5% of workers met criteria for adult ADHD, and that ADHD was associated with 22.1 additional days a year of lost role performance. Only a small minority of affected workers had received treatment (de Graaf et al., 2008). The study used a screening tool and dates from 2008, so these figures are indicative.

In coaching practice, the same person can perform well in a structured, low-interruption setting and struggle in a fragmented one. That points toward environment design as the main lever. Building supports into how work runs means fewer people need to ask for them. Where individual adjustments are needed, they are often modest. In Australia, JobAccess, the Australian Government's national hub for disability employment information, reports that most workplace adjustments cost less than $1,000, and some, such as flexible working arrangements, cost nothing (JobAccess, 2023). Cost is still a common concern: in JobAccess's national survey, 40% of Australians estimated the cost of adjustments to be significant, and 60% were not aware of workplace adjustments. The Australian Government's Employment Assistance Fund can fund some adjustments for employees with disability, so check eligibility with JobAccess. US data points the same way: in the Job Accommodation Network's employer surveys, 49.4% of accommodations cost nothing, and the median one-time cost of the rest was $300 (JAN, 2023). The JobAccess figures come from its own internal research, and the JAN respondents were US employers who contacted JAN, so these should be also treated as indicative. 

Three transitions that drain capacity

Starting. A meta-analysis of 94 tests found that if-then plans, which spell out when, where and how a person will act, had a medium-to-large effect on goal attainment, including on getting started (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006). Early studies with children with ADHD found that if-then plans improved response inhibition (Gawrilow & Gollwitzer, 2008).

Stepping away. Sophie Leroy's research on attention residue shows that when people switch tasks, part of their attention stays with the unfinished one. In experiments and a field study of working professionals, Leroy and Glomb (2018) found that a short ready-to-resume plan, noting where to pick up, what is still difficult and what to do next, reduced attention residue and improved performance on the task people moved to. The studies measured the new task. The researchers expect the plan to help the original task too, however that was not tested.

Restarting. A good note to your future self gives you a runway back in, so you do not have to rebuild your thinking from scratch. A short routine that signals the start of a new block, such as a walk or a glass of water, supports the same transition. This routine and strategy comes from coaching practice and lived experience rather than a trial.

What founders and leaders can do

These steps apply the research above in daily practice. Most have not been tested as workplace interventions in the studies cited.

1. Protect time for work only you can do. Block two 45 to 90 minute windows a week and decide in advance what may interrupt them.
2. Write triage rules for your inbox. Sort requests into today, this week, delegate and never, so you stop making that decision hundreds of times a day.
3. Make handovers explicit. Define the outcome, what the other person can decide alone, and the date of the check-in.
4. Build in transitions. Leave a buffer between meetings, and end each with a written next action and an owner.
5. Reduce the switching you cause. Batch non-urgent requests and agree which channels are for urgent matters. 

What HR, DEI and L&D can do

• Treat workload as a design issue. In NSW, since 1 October 2022, employers must manage psychosocial risks, and role overload (high workloads or job demands) is a named hazard (SafeWork NSW; Maddocks, 2022). The design of work, including job demands and tasks, is a factor employers must consider. Other jurisdictions have their own rules.
• Audit the transitions. Ask teams where handovers fail, how many tools they switch between, and how much uninterrupted time they get.
• Build executive function into learning. Offer workshops and coaching on prioritisation, transitions and delegation, and include the research on interruption so people stop treating overload as a personal flaw.
• Make supports the default. Meeting agendas, written follow-ups, asynchronous options and quiet focus blocks help everyone, and a simple accommodations process helps those who need more.
• Measure it. Track perceived workload, focus time and handover quality, and review them alongside engagement and absence data.

Where executive function coaching fits

Executive function coaching helps people understand that individual brains work differently. It also helps leaders to design routines and supports around how they and their teams work: inbox triage rules, transition rituals, delegation structures and accountability. It complements medical and psychological care, yet does not replace it. If you are exploring this for yourself or a leadership team, you can book a conversation here.

Frequently asked questions

What is executive function, and why does it matter at work? Executive function covers the mental skills used to plan, prioritise, start tasks, hold information in mind, switch between activities and manage impulses. Nearly every knowledge-work task draws on them, so changes in workload and interruption affect output and wellbeing.

What is executive dysfunction? The term describes difficulty using executive function skills, such as starting tasks, prioritising or switching. It is not a diagnosis on its own. It can occur alongside ADHD, stress, poor sleep and other conditions, and a health professional can assess the cause.

How common is ADHD among working adults? A global meta-analysis estimated 2.58% persistent and 6.76% symptomatic adult ADHD in the general population (Song et al., 2021). Australian clinical guidance cites 2% to 6% of adults, with more than 800,000 Australians estimated to have ADHD (AADPA, 2022). A ten-country survey of workers aged 18 to 44 estimated 3.5% (de Graaf et al., 2008). Many adults are undiagnosed.

Is workload a legal issue for employers in NSW? Role overload is listed as a psychosocial hazard, and since 1 October 2022 employers must manage psychosocial risks under the WHS Regulation. This is general information, not legal advice, so check current requirements with SafeWork NSW or a qualified adviser.

What low-cost supports can a team start with? Meeting agendas with a written next action, protected focus blocks, clear handovers, agreed urgent channels and ready-to-resume notes. None needs new software. JobAccess reports that most workplace adjustments in Australia cost less than $1,000, and some, such as flexible working arrangements, cost nothing (JobAccess, 2023).

Is funding available for workplace adjustments in Australia? The Australian Government's Employment Assistance Fund can reimburse some workplace adjustments for employees with disability, and JobAccess provides guidance to employers. Eligibility rules apply, so check with JobAccess before assuming a particular support qualifies.

Does coaching replace clinical support? No. Coaching focuses on practical routines and systems for work. It sits alongside medical or psychological care, and a coach can encourage someone to seek an assessment where appropriate.

References

1. Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA) (2022). Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for ADHD (endorsed by the NHMRC). adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au
2. Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: The Role of Psychologists. Journal of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists (JNZCCP). Reports the 800,000 Australians, 2% to 6% adult prevalence and US$12.76 billion burden figures, the latter attributed to Sciberras et al. (2022). 
3. CNBC (2025). Workers are stuck in an 'infinite workday,' according to Microsoft report. 
4. de Graaf, R., Kessler, R. C., Fayyad, J., et al. (2008). The prevalence and effects of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the performance of workers: results from the WHO World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 
5. Gawrilow, C., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2008). Implementation intentions facilitate response inhibition in children with ADHD. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 32, 261–280. 
6. Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. 
7. Harvard Business Review (2022). How much time and energy do we waste toggling between applications? 
8. Job Accommodation Network (JAN), reported by National Industries for the Blind. Study illustrates cost, impact of workplace accommodations.
9. JobAccess (Australian Government) (2023, 18 December). Workplace adjustments, employer confidence vital to bridge disability employment gap: JobAccess national research. jobaccess.gov.au
10. Leroy, S., & Glomb, T. M. (2018). Tasks interrupted: How anticipating time pressure on resumption of an interrupted task causes attention residue and low performance on interrupting tasks and how a "ready-to-resume" plan mitigates the effects. Organization Science. 
11. Maddocks (2022). NSW introduces positive duty to manage risks of psychosocial hazards at work. maddocks.com.au
12. Mark, G. (2023). Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. Discussed in Awesome at Your Job, episode 881.
13. McKinsey Quarterly (2013). Making time management the organization's priority. mckinsey.com
14. Microsoft (2025). New Microsoft study reveals the rise of the 'infinite workday' (Work Trend Index special report). news.microsoft.com
15. SafeWork NSW. Psychosocial hazards. safework.nsw.gov.au
16. Song, P., Zha, M., Yang, Q., Zhang, Y., Li, X., & Rudan, I. (2021). The prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Global Health, 11, 04009.