Episode introduction:

This week on The Audit Podcast, Bill Engelhaupt, author of The Productive Auditor and founder and principal of Auditology LLC, joins the show to discuss how internal audit professionals can take back control of their time, reduce distractions, and build more productive audit teams.

Bill explains why productivity isn’t simply about getting more things done. It’s about protecting your attention for the work that matters most. He shares how interruptions, fragmented work, and constant notifications can turn a task that should take 20 or 30 minutes into an hour, and why creating dedicated blocks of uninterrupted time can make such a difference.

Bill also breaks down his approach to the “Power Hour,” a protected block of time where teams agree to eliminate interruptions and focus entirely on getting important work done. He explains how audit leaders can establish this as a team norm and why it can be just as valuable for managers and leaders who need uninterrupted time to review and complete work.

The conversation then shifts to prioritization and productivity for audit leaders. Bill explains why teams can fall into the trap of cherry-picking easier tasks while more important work gets pushed aside. He shares how sprints, daily huddles, and clear team priorities can help auditors stay focused on the work that matters most.

Bill also discusses psychological safety and its role in high-performing audit teams. He explains why auditors and clients need to feel comfortable speaking up about problems and concerns, and how leaders can create an environment where people feel safe sharing uncomfortable information. He also introduces the idea of a pre-mortem as a way to identify potential problems before an audit begins.

The conversation also covers building trust with audit clients, including why auditors should focus on asking questions that encourage real information rather than simply confirming what they already expect to hear. Bill explains why asking “why?” can sometimes put people on the defensive and offers a better approach for getting people to open up.

Finally, Bill shares practical strategies for managing distractions, from turning off Slack and Teams notifications to putting your phone away and preparing your workspace before starting a focused work block. He also discusses the growing challenge of AI as both a productivity tool and a potential distraction.

03:36 Why Interruptions Are Killing Productivity
05:01 How to Protect Your Attention
06:06 The Power of 90-Minute Work Blocks
08:55 How Fatigue Impacts Audit Judgment
11:29 Why Slack and Teams Make Work Take Longer
12:32 Why Humans Are Wired for Distraction
13:27 When AI Becomes a Productivity Distraction
15:13 What Audit Leaders Should Protect Their Time For
16:54 How to Prioritize the Work That Matters
19:20 The Role of Psychological Safety in Audit Teams
23:05 Using a Pre-Mortem to Identify Problems Early
24:13 How to Build Psychological Safety With Audit Clients
25:44 Asking Better Questions During an Audit
26:33 Why You Should Stop Asking “Why?”
27:53 The One Thing Audit Leaders Can Do Tomorrow
29:27 Practical Ways to Protect Your Focus
32:06 Breaking the Habit of Checking Your Phone
34:12 How Productivity Can Give You Your Life Back

Be sure to connect with Bill Engelhaupt on LinkedIn and check out The Productive Auditor and his other resources for practical advice on productivity and internal audit.

Be sure to connect with Trent Russell on LinkedIn and check out Green Skies Analytics for more resources on audit analytics and AI.

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Also be sure to sign up for The Audit Podcast newsletter and check out the full video interview on The Audit Podcast YouTube channel.

This podcast is brought to you by Green Skies Analytics, the services firm that helps internal audit teams make analytics actually work. Whether your audit team needs help with an analytics or AI strategy, methodology, governance, literacy, or anything else related to audit analytics, visit Green Skies Analytics to learn more and schedule a call.