4 Tips for Managing Multiple Training Requests — Without the Burnout

Training Industry’s “L&D Career and Salary Study” found that nearly 30% of training professionals and 50% of training executives agree with the statement, “I cannot ever seem to catch up at work.”

For many learning leaders, receiving mounds of training requests is a contributing factor to heavy workloads and overwhelm which, if left unchecked, can eventually lead to burnout. This challenge can become even more prominent as training professionals are rushing to meet their end-of-year goals and finalize strategic plans.

Here, we’ll offer four tips for managing multiple training requests — without the burnout.

1. Determine What’s Timely and Business Critical

First, it’s important to determine which training requests are both timely and business essential. This can be a challenge, especially for learning leaders working in fast-moving environments. For instance, Mira Neal, CPTM, training program manager at Absher, says, “Working in construction means supporting a really fast-paced work environment with a lot of different needs across operations, safety, human resources and other departments.” Right now, Neal’s balancing “day-to-day requests along with long-term projects,” such as a forward-looking strategic plan.

Neal uses deadlines to stay on track when managing multiple training requests, sharing, “If something has a set deadline, or if it’s tied to an upcoming project that we’re working on, [such as] for the strategic plan, we’ve been having to go in order” to tackle which request needs to be completed first. This helps ensure the most time-sensitive requests are addressed in the right order.

Benji Wittman, CPTM, digital training lead, sales and support training at Sweetwater, says that when learning and development (L&D) professionals are seen as order-takers, it often leads to “never-ending treadmills of requests.” Reframing L&D as a strategic business partner can limit excess requests and replace them with higher-value, strategic conversations. Positioning L&D as a strategic partner is an ongoing process, requiring internal consulting skills such as speaking the language of the business, diagnosing business problems and determining and communicating the business impact of training.

Strategic Prioritization

When receiving multiple training requests, Wittman uses the following process to determine which to prioritize, grouping requests into three key buckets:

• Impact: Assess the training’s impact on the organization, employees and/or customers, including contributions to business outcomes such as revenue or efficiency. Prioritize high-impact efforts first to ensure projects with the highest potential return on investment (ROI) are completed.

• Lift: Examine the level of effort needed to roll out the training. Consider time and resource requirements as well as complexity. “If it’s a low-lift, high-impact [project], that’s a no-brainer for us to focus on first,” Wittman says. Tackling low-lift, high-impact projects helps build momentum and credibility.

• Expectations: Align with stakeholders using the to clarify priorities and manage scope. Focusing on stakeholders’ “must-haves” first builds trust and establishes L&D as a strategic partner over time, Wittman says.

Ultimately, “There’s a finite limit” for what L&D can accomplish, Wittman says. It’s critical for L&D leaders to recognize each request’s strategic importance and prioritize accordingly.

2. Master Time Management

Managing multiple training requests takes strong time management skills. Here are some techniques that can help you stay on track:

The 2-Minute Rule

One technique Neal suggests is the “two-minute rule.” Neal shares, “If something is going to take me two minutes or less, then I do it immediately — like data entry, fixing something in the LMS [or] sending an email. That way, the small things don’t pile up over time” and you don’t have more to do at the end of the day or the end of the week.

Time Blocking

Setting aside designated time blocks to work on different projects is another technique Neal suggests. “If I have a couple different things going on at once, it helps me spread my time when it’s feasible to do so.” Time blocking helps minimize distractions and ensures each project gets dedicated attention.

Track and Assess How Time Is Being Used

Assessing how time is being used can help you identify areas for improvement, says Kellie McDermott, training practice administrator at HealthTech Solutions. “It’s really important to set clear and transparent goals with your time management.”

Here are three examples of specific time management goals:

• Allocate dedicated time for high-priority projects: Block a certain number of hours each week to focus on strategic initiatives without interruptions.

• Set limits on ad hoc requests: Establish boundaries for handling last-minute training requests, including clear guidelines on response times and what can realistically be accommodated.

• Schedule regular reflection or planning time: Reserve time each week to review progress and reassess priorities. Adjust your plan accordingly to stay on track and avoid overwhelm.

To help prevent burnout on her team, McDermott implemented a shared task board using tools like Trello and Microsoft Planner to help her team communicate, track assignments and balance work with personal commitments. Keeping an eye on team members’ schedules and responsibilities helps her prevent overload during evenings and weekends. “I love my job, and I love my family, and my team deserves that [balance], also.”

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No” — Strategically

Although it can be difficult, sometimes saying “no” is necessary for the business to stay focused on its most important priorities. Neal says, “I think it’s OK to decline a training request if it doesn’t solve a problem, or if it’s not aligned with a business priority.” That said, it’s important to share your reasoning for declining a request. “That way, you maintain that working relationship, [are] showing respect and recognizing their perspective rather than just shutting an idea down.”

Wittman agrees that it’s sometimes necessary to say “no” to a training request. However, he emphasizes that factors like relationships and your tenure in the organization matter. Early in one’s career, L&D professionals may need to be more accommodating to build credibility and trust. But over time, as relationships and business savvy grow, L&D leaders can frame declining a request strategically by offering alternative solutions that address the underlying problem (e.g., a job aid, policy update or managerial involvement). “I think the trick is being able to communicate that effectively. The more credibility, strong relationships and goodwill we have, the easier it is to say no to a request that isn’t strategic.”

4. Set Boundaries to Prevent Burnout

Setting boundaries to avoid burnout is a challenge for many training professionals — especially for teams of one. McDermott experienced this firsthand: “Early in my career, I was the only person in training in my organization.” She was responsible for building the entire training function from scratch while supporting multiple project teams and delivering client training.

As a self-proclaimed “yes person,” saying no was difficult for McDermott. Over time, she used data and ROI to gain additional support and now leads a team of trainers. This shifted her perspective: “Now, it wasn’t just me spreading myself thin. It was me making my team spread themselves thin, and I didn’t want to do that to them.” To manage requests effectively, she created an intake process, prioritization criteria, a “mental checklist” and clearer time-management boundaries.

McDermott also leverages the skills she’s gained as a mother of eight, which taught her how to manage complexity and find balance. She now focuses on helping her team achieve work-life balance as well, especially given the irregular hours often required in training, such as evenings and weekend classes. Keeping a pulse on their workloads and strategically evaluating each request helps them avoid “being hijacked by urgency all the time,” McDermott says.

Ultimately, “You can’t pour into others if you are depleted,” Neal says. It’s important to “find a support system that you can confide in, use your vacation time [and] find a hobby or something else that grounds you outside of work.” Doing so will leave you better equipped to serve both your learners and the business.