CPAs’ Four Top Tips for Getting Things Done

How CPAs juggle distractions to focus on work. Got a tip? Send it in!

by Rick Telberg/At Large

An endless flow of e-mails, chatty co-workers, unexpected clients knocking on your door and phones that never stop ringing — sound all too familiar? If so, you are not alone.

The real question is — how do you stay focused amid the chaos?

According to a CPA Trendlines study by the Bay Street Group, 34 percent of CPAs report “often” feeling distracted, while another 34 percent are “sometimes” distracted. This is followed by 22 percent who are “frequently” distracted.

CPAs rely on a few key habits for maximizing productivity and minimizing distraction, including the following:

  1. Strictly scheduling e-mail and Internet activity
  2. Preparing daily to-do lists
  3. Shifting work hours to early mornings or evenings to minimize interruptions
  4. Setting aside discrete blocks of time for phone calls and meetings

Of course, that’s easier said than done.

“Focused? It’s very difficult. The best for me is make a list and stick to it, which I’m not doing right now,” says Jim Kinsler of Cincinnati.

Whether it’s making a to-do list, shutting the office door or turning off the telephone, CPAs have different methods for staying focused. Some methods appear to work better than others and it is far from a one-size-fits-all approach.

Ken Lehto of San Francisco, for instance, gets his best work done from about noon until 9 p.m. That guarantees him a large block of uninterrupted time from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Routine work is no problem at any time for Ken. The big challenge is staying off the Internet until a project is completed.

Deborah Lavinsky of Phoenix calls herself “The Queen of Multitasking.” “Generally,” she says, “I pick two to three projects a day and work back and forth. I don’t consider myself unfocused working this way. I am able to feel refreshed and energized this way. If I have an extremely time-sensitive project, then I do it exclusively. The reality in my line of business is that there are lots of things to juggle and it is mostly done by e-mail these days. I worked with a coach last year to refine my e-mail time management, but it just is not practical to check it just twice a day.”

Also battling the distraction of e-mail, Brenda Zamzow of Los Angeles decided to move her inbox off of her desktop. “A few weeks ago, I moved my inbox off my desk, so now I’m not tempted to check it frequently. It works. Also, when I close my laptop on my desk, I am able to focus much better; however, I rarely have the courage to do this.”

Other people, like Deborah Bieber of Chicago, opt to work nights when the office is quiet or even on the weekends. “I close my door. But then there’s the e-mail and phone. I work late when everyone’s gone or come in on weekends.”

Aside from tuning out external distractions like the phone and e-mail, many people find success in making a to-do list and goal setting.

Michael Chaffee of Troy, Mich., goes as far as maintaining hourly to-do lists.

Harry C. Ballman, MBA, CPA, of Annapolis, Md. advises, “Setting a to-do plan of action each day with time between tasks to take on the ‘add-ons’ that occur during the day.” Of course, getting to the office by 6:30 a.m. also helps, he says.

WHAT’S YOUR TIME-MANAGEMENT SECRET? Send in your best tips and we’ll share the best in an upcoming article.

Copyright 2008 CPA Trendlines/BSG LLC. All rights reserved. First published by the AICPA.

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Posted at July 28, 2008
Filed Under BSG [CPA TRENDLINES] | 19 Comments

Comments

19 Responses to “CPAs’ Four Top Tips for Getting Things Done”

  1. Brenda Wallace on July 28th, 2008 3:11 pm

    My recommendation is to schedule hours during the week when interruptions from e-mail, telephone calls and co-worker stop-ins are at a minimum – as you mentioned with the “shift work hours to early mornings or evenings.” Stay home 4 hours on Monday morning and take care of personal chores you didn’t get done over the weekend, then work from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. and enjoy the 5 to 9 quiet time period. Take 4 hours off Friday afternoon for golf or to get started on your weekend early (a time when you are probably not missing anything critical at the office) and work Saturday mornings for more quiet time.

  2. Mark J. Merki CPA on July 28th, 2008 3:27 pm

    I should mention that the bulk of my time is directed towards client maintenance and employee management. Tasks are less than 50% of time.

    1. Handle task one time. Pay bills when the mail is opened. Respond to email when received. Take calls. Answer client and employee questions. This helps me CLEAR THE DECK. Clear my mind for the current task.

    2. When task must be completed, I allot a specific time for the task and complete the task. Many years ago, I found out I am much better in the mornings. Therefore I often schedule a task (return) for the morning and leave other duties for the afternoon.

    3. I use color coded paper for WIP information needed. I know that a YELLOW sheet means I have started the project. The list of needed items Is right on top. This allows me to check status and find stuff at a glance instead of having to pick items up.

    4. Lists, lists. Lists. I am a smart person and forget many things! Especially things I know I will NOT! Right it down.

    5. I try to mix task in. Easy task along with big projects. Picking up easy task is the tendency. I must force myself to START the tough assignments . Otherwise they linger and ZAP energy from all the stuff.

    6. Understanding that clients and employees often have no idea of my workload. I do not agree with the block of time for responding to email. I try to respond NOW. I think this shows clients that you are focusing on them. I know as a customer, it is very frustrating to call and not be able to talk to the professional. For example, a doctor. I would gladly pay double if I could call my doctor and he would get on the phone.

    Out of time.

  3. Tim McCraw on July 28th, 2008 3:29 pm

    I just wanted to take the time to let you know that I think your articles are really good.

  4. Rick on July 28th, 2008 3:30 pm

    Aw shucks! Thanks!

  5. H. Roy Matlen on July 28th, 2008 3:51 pm

    We have always refused to allow any kind of music or radio to be played in our offices. Even Muzak, as mundane as it is, will have you humming or tapping your foot. Both of these actions are proof that a distraction exists and, even the littlest of distractions can cause major mistakes. Obviously, commercial radio – especially talk radio – is a “concentration-killer” and should never be permitted within a working environment that requires focused thinking.

    Personally, I am also a professional songwriter and musician, but when working at our CPA offices, I also “turn off the jams.”

    Peace,
    H. Roy Matlen

    H. ROY MATLEN & ASSOCIATES
    Studio City, CA

  6. Thomas W. Bassett, CPA on July 28th, 2008 7:36 pm

    I agree with Brenda of Los Angeles … closing the cover of my laptop (so I can’t see any new email icons) is very helpful. But … we’ve gone to a “dual monitor” setup, so that’s no longer an option.

    My tip: TURN OFF NOTIFY IN GROUPWISE … that email doesn’t need to be opened within 10 seconds of receipt, so I don’t need to immediately know that it’s arrived.

    and I’m generally one of the last to leave the office – the phone generally stops ringing at 5 pm, the staff are gone by 5:30, so I get quite a bit done between 5 and 7 pm.

    Regards,
    Tom

    Thomas W. Basset CPA
    BKD, LLP
    St. Louis, MO

  7. Lisa Middlebrooks, CPA on July 28th, 2008 7:39 pm

    The best thing that keeps me from getting to off-track is avoiding those eye-catching articles in my emails. The most tempting to get me off-track are always from Rick Telberg…. You always have the most intriguing titles to your articles…. I always have to pull them up and see what they are.

    Here I went again….

    Lisa Middlebrooks, CPA

  8. Jenifer Siou CPA on July 29th, 2008 12:16 pm

    I take care of all e mails, make all necessary phone calls and conduct mini staff meeting early in the morning to get everyone going and so I have the rest of the day to focus on my own work with minimum interruption.

  9. Paul A.H. Redfern on July 29th, 2008 2:21 pm

    These are great, frequently heard/read tips. Thank you for the reminder.

    To add on, having 2 to 4 hours each week (I like Friday afternoon) set aside to do “practice management” or “non-chargeable” work and to review the “to-do” list from the week and prepare one for next week is liberating. There are non-client tasks that come up every day, and it is good to know that there a time set aside for those tasks as well.

    1 QUESTION from your article: “Harry C. Ballman, MBA, CPA, of Annapolis, Md. advises, “Setting a to-do plan of action each day with time between tasks to take on the ‘add-ons’ that occur during the day.” Is anyone using a work flow software to manage this? I know that some business owners use ACT by Sage Software, I’ve not adopted this, but would like to find some sort of scheduling, task manager software CPAs like, if there are any being used.

    Thank you,
    Paul A. H. Redfern, CPA
    Entrepreneurial Accountant

    Redfern & Company
    Encinitas CA

  10. Nancy A. Meech, CPA on July 29th, 2008 2:24 pm

    We have just started our Focus Time this month.

    Here are the guidelines we’ve come up with listed below. Since we’re just starting this, I’m sure we’ll be revising the program once we get into it.

    “Focus Time” – This will be a two-hour window (9 am to 11 am every day) where we will have time to focus on larger projects and hopefully improve efficiency within the office. During this time (within the office only, does not apply at a client), everyone should avoid unessential interruptions or questions that can wait until after the time is over. However, we do not want to discourage people from asking essential (work-stopping) questions during the ‘Focus Time’. This time can also be used for team meetings, group projects, etc. – it is not necessarily ‘alone time’. Also, you can choose to answer client calls/emails or not during this time. Phone calls to the ‘operator’ will also be answered during this time. Whoever answers phone calls to the ‘receptionist’ will direct calls to your extension – it is up to you to decide whether you will be answering. If a client has an urgent question, the person answering the phone will then let you know that you should take the call.

    Nancy A. Meech, CPA
    Heinfeld, Meech & Co.
    Tucson, AZ

  11. John Bagdasarian on July 29th, 2008 2:27 pm

    I find that the best way that works for me is to prioritize in order deadlines. As a tax accountant, dates are very important so it is very important to meet them in a timely manner.

    I am also an accountant so finishing by the time financials are due is important. There are several ways to handle both but a calendar is a very good way to keep control of what you do daily and keeping the dates in front of you.

    John Bagdasarian
    Furmanite America, Inc.
    Richardson, TX

  12. Brian on July 29th, 2008 2:31 pm

    I make a daily to do list and stick to it. I also number the items based on importance. This list is developed off my weekly list which I prepare either Monday morning or late Friday afternoon. This weekly list is prepared after I review my monthly goals / activities list. The monthly goals then tie into my annual goals and plans.

    They key for me is chunking it down. You have to take a big goal and chunk it down into smaller manageable pieces.

    For example; let’s say you want to increase your firm billings by $100,000 over the next year.

    Sounds like a great goal. – Now what?

    What smaller action are you going to take over the next 12 months to achieve this goal? Then what are you going to do next month?

    Then what are you going to do each week based on the monthly goals?

    Then finally what are you going to do each day based on those weekly goals.

    Each smaller piece fits into a larger piece.

    Then at the start of a new day I look at what I did not get done the previous day and focus on those items first. I usually have more items on my list than I can accomplish in one day.

    This process seems to work for me.

    E-mail is also a big distraction. I try to only respond twice a day unless it is absolutely urgent. At that start of the day I also go over all e-mails from the previous day to be sure I responded to all I needed to. I also sometimes just turn it off so as not to feel compelled to check it. By keeping it on I find I cannot resist checking it sometimes when I really should not be doing that. I also turn off that stupid option of having the e-mail pop up on your screen for a few seconds. That is very annoying!

    I also try to come into the office earlier rather than staying later. I have small children with many activities and I am committed to spending time with them as they grow up so fast!

    I hope this information is useful.

    Brian C. DiBella, CPA
    Simione Macca & Larrow, LLP
    Rocky Hill, CT

  13. Tom Naiman on July 29th, 2008 2:33 pm

    I make the time to walk out to my staff’s workspaces and address what they are working on, what their next steps and tasks are. This way I can minimize the interruptions.

    Tom Naiman
    Avis Budget Group
    Parsippany, NJ

  14. Grace Ghezzi on July 29th, 2008 2:34 pm

    Early mornings work best for me. I am alert, and there are no phones ringing or emails coming in. I can tackle the projects that require my full attention and are most important. I complete tasks, which gives me a sense of accomplishment and helps me stay focused all day.

    I keep an attainable weekly list in my planner, and when the items are all crossed off, then I can devote my time to other projects.

    When it comes to reading professional literature, scan the table of contents, and only turn to the articles that interest you. It saves a tremendous amount of time, and reserves your attention for the things that are most important. Otherwise, you can become inundated with irrelevant voluminous articles that waste a substantial amount of time.

    Thanks!
    — Grace Ghezzi, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CFE, AEP
    Vice President
    Benefit Consulting Group, Inc.
    North Syracuse, NY

  15. Stephen S. Welbourn CMA on July 29th, 2008 2:51 pm

    Hello

    My time management technique is to simply close my office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My time for client appointments, telephone and e-mail is Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings.

    I have very few problems with my clients. I believe this is because they know I am very diligent about returning telephone calls early the next morning, and because they also know that they are never more than one day away from being able to speak with me.

    The advantage of this is that I am able to work uninterrupted for 2.5 full days each week (including Saturday afternoon). I like the fact that I can schedule certain tasks to be done in a week, and know that they will be done. I can also be more flexible about dealing with the inevitable unexpected interruptions / problems that come up all the time.

    This method may not work for accountants working in firms, but for a sole proprietor such as myself, it works very well indeed. I hope this helps.

    Best Regards
    Stephen S. Welbourn CMA

    Net Profit Accounting & CheckMark Bookkeeping
    http://www.theaccountant.ca

  16. Dustin Caldwell on July 30th, 2008 3:11 pm

    Rick,

    Keeping organized! If you are well organized and have a “plan of attack”, this alone would save large amounts of time! I watch my boss search his desk for papers and items which can take up loads of time. My “plan of attack” is my morning strategy to handle all sensitive items before the morning rush.

    Get to the office early, get these done, so when the morning rush of phone calls, emails, and clients arrive, I have handled my main tasks. This allows me to be flexible in other areas. Hope this is a helpful tip! Love your articles!

    Sincerely,
    Dustin Caldwell
    Cost Accountant

    Marion, OH

  17. David on August 1st, 2008 10:33 am

    Please proofread/or have someone do it for you……

    I am glad to see someone must have passed along this tip before I could:

    The real question is — how do you stay focused amid the chaos and keep your head above water?…..it did say YOU’RE head……are you kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????

    I see this stuff so often, it is embarrassing. The one the gets me the most…….and was found numerous times in a set of 6 CD’s I got for training materials……and I get it from all sorts of professional speakers and News/Sportscasters…….

    There IS three reasons to do this or that. They would be better of to use ARE….as, more often than not, their subject matter is plural.

    It really does grate on my ears even worse than finger nails across the old chalkboards.

    Keep up the good work…and please get a good proofreader! My early days at Deloitte as an Auditor were spent proofing in the offseason…….

    Loyal Reader,
    David

  18. Robert Fligel, CPA on August 1st, 2008 10:42 am

    My best tips are
    - Coming in very early.
    - A to-do list in 3 sections:
    1. Things that have to get done that day
    2. Other daily activities to handle, but not as critical
    3. Projects in process with the goal of making a little progress on each per day
    - Getting as much done in the a.m., as possible with the idea that the other party will get back to you that same day completing the task. … letting the day work for you.
    - Picking up the telephone versus an email exchange that requires more than 2 steps.

    Really gotta run now, you understand.

    Robert

  19. Clay on August 15th, 2008 9:27 am

    For being so stingy about proofreading…
    “The one the gets me the most….”
    - the one that gets me the most
    “in a set of 6 CD’s I got for training materials”
    - 6 CD’s I received for
    “They would be better of to use ARE”
    - They would be better off

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