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LEARNING RESOURCE

Building Personal Resilience
your career path with your passions, values, and
This CPE self-study course provides you with a priorities.
better understanding of your current level of During this time of reflection, you might
resilience so you can be your best self at work.
realize that you simply don’t have the bandwidth to
CPE SELF-STUDY continue doing everything that’s on your plate, and
you may have to opt out of a few things to focus on
what matters most to you. For example, Kaigler de-
For more information or to make a purchase, go to aicpa.org/cpe-learning or cided to let go of some of her board appointments,
call the Institute at 888-777-7077. not because she didn’t believe in their missions but
because she simply didn’t have the time.
“There are some things I just had to let go of
because I just didn’t have the time to devote to
[them] anymore,” Kaigler said. “I think the virus
“In certain ways we have had to rediscover our made us reassess our priorities and gave a lot of
basic values, what we want in life, what makes us people the ‘out’ they needed to align their purpose
happy, and how we relate to our loved ones,” said with their careers.”
Georg Kell, chairman of the board at Arabesque, an
Anglo-German investment management firm, and VULNERABILITY AND EMPATHY ARE
founding director of the United Nations Global STRENGTHS, NOT WEAKNESSES
Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustain- Although many of us experienced increased
ability initiative. “Cultivating your inner core is very isolation over the course of the pandemic, we also
helpful and gives you the backbone, the stability, caught unvarnished glimpses into the lives of our
and strength you need.” colleagues and clients and, perhaps, connected
Kaigler recommends setting aside time for a with them on a deeper level than before.
“discovery session,” which can involve reflecting on “Our profession tends to be very analytical,
your current strengths and weaknesses, your values, and that’s OK, but to connect with people you
the things you enjoy doing, and which direction you have to be vulnerable in some way,” Yoder said.
want your career path to go in the coming years. “You have to be willing to say, ‘I don’t know,’ or
After this discovery session, she advises putting ‘This is where I failed,’ and that’s often not easy,
together a road map with “mile markers” in order but I think vulnerability allows the folks around
to figure out the next step you need to take to align us to relate and connect with us, which ultimately
builds trust.”
Yoder argued that the ability to empathize
with others and a willingness to express vulnera-
AICPA RESOURCES bility are positive traits that we should continue to
Articles develop beyond the pandemic. She recommends
making an effort to reach out and help colleagues
“Say ‘Yes’ to Saying ‘No,’” JofA, Nov. 2, 2021
more often, and, when someone asks how you’re
“How CPAs and Employers Can Support Mental Health,” JofA, Nov. 1, 2021 doing, consider being a bit more honest and
“The Pandemic Pushed Us Forward. Let’s Keep Evolving,” CPA Insider, April admitting when you’re having a difficult time.
26, 2021 “The past two years affirmed that we are in a peo-
“Promoting Resilience Helps Firms and People in Turbulent Times,” JofA, ple business, and skills such as trust, empathy, clarity
Aug. 20, 2020 in communication, and connection are needed in
crisis and moving forward,” Yoder said. ■

IN BRIEF grow in terms of adaptability, empathy, ■ Accounting professionals and
and openness to change. organizations can build on the
■ The past two years have been ■ The pandemic has seen many firms resilience they showed during the
challenging ones, but they have also embrace remote work and cloud pandemic as they move forward into
helped many accounting professionals technology at a remarkably rapid pace. the future.

14 | Journal of Accountancy March 2022