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PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

benefits policies, firmwide policies, and planning Saunders uses an email app to filter out mass
for the next phase of the pandemic. mailings and low-priority messages.
Saunders also recommends scheduling blocks
of time to work through your inbox, because “when Manage your calendar efficiently
you’re hopping back and forth from emails to focus Scheduling apps can help cut down on emails
work, it’s probably taking you a lot longer than nec- and make meeting planning run more smoothly.
essary to complete that substantive work,” she said. At times, Fiske felt as if he was being bombarded
with emails, calls, and instant messages that often
Consider turning off your notifications shared a common theme: requests to get on his
Try disabling notifications for applications like email, calendar. He has reduced those exchanges by
messaging apps, and texts — especially when you’re using a calendar management tool that allows
completing focus work. They’re on as a default for him to send his calendar to clients or colleagues
most programs, not because they’re beneficial to so they can schedule meetings that work for them
your productivity but because they get you to use the both. “It really cuts down on the back and forth,”
software more, Rader said. “All of those notifications Fiske said.
give you a dopamine response in your brain, and your Scheduling apps also allow you to block off
brain gets used to it and likes it.” time when you’re unavailable — a function Fiske
When you receive an email, you might tell uses strategically during hectic times of the year.
yourself you’re just going to check the subject to “Last busy season, a couple of weeks before the
make sure it’s not urgent. But Rader said that can extended corporate tax deadline, I blocked off my
be very disruptive. “It’s like reading a book and then scheduling app for two weeks,” he said.
reading one line from a separate magazine and then
going back to your book,” she said. Articulate your communication preferences
Of course, some jobs — like customer service or Let clients and colleagues know the best methods of
IT — require the use of notifications, but in most getting in touch with you and the best times to do so.
cases, staff are better off processing emails, instant From email to videoconferencing apps,
messages, and texts at regular intervals or on a there’s no shortage of ways to get in touch
schedule, instead of keeping notifications on all day, with McClain. That’s one of the reasons she
Rader said. believes it’s important to clearly indicate your
communication preferences. “With any kind of
Find a system for prioritizing your inbox communication, you have to tell people how to
Have a system for determining which emails need best reach you to get a response. Set up expecta-
immediate responses and which can wait. tions,” McClain said. For instance, she doesn’t use
Tax director John Fiske, CPA, skims his emails instant messaging often. Her team knows to call
as they come in and uses a tool to organize and if it’s urgent and to email if it’s not.
prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. That It’s also acceptable to share similar instruc-
helps Fiske, who works remotely for Boston-based tions with clients, Rader said. Her company
Accountalent, to tackle what needs to be answered published an email manifesto on its website that
right away and what can wait. It also makes it reads, in part: “We process our inbox twice a
easier to allow for enough time to respond to day. The majority of the time, we will respond
important emails that require close attention. within 24 hours. If it needs to be addressed more

IN BRIEF

■ Productivity experts suggest that reading turning off notifications to focus on from your behavior. Scheduling when
emails and answering messages often cuts complicated projects, finish up ongoing emails and messages are sent helps to
into time spent on other job responsibilities projects, and clean out your inbox. develop consistency.
because it takes 15 to 25 minutes to ■ Responding to emails in a consistent ■ Setting boundaries, taking breaks,
refocus on a task after an interruption. cadence will give clients a sense of and recharging help reduce the
■ Set aside time in your schedule or consider peace and may teach others to learn threat of digital distractions.
To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Courtney Vien at Courtney.Vien@aicpa-cima.com.

34 | Journal of Accountancy July 2022