Time Management Secrets for Training Leaders Who Do It All

Time: Have you ever wondered where it all goes? As the training practice administrator of a project management health information technology (IT) consulting firm, I would find myself staring at my to-do list on my computer while my now cold coffee sits undrunk.

I have a fancy job title, but all it really means is that I am responsible for all aspects of the training for my company’s employees and our clients, along with some public trainings. I have a very small team, which means that I am in the thick of the entire training life cycle. Today, I have to attend a meeting with a potential client, complete an internal review of a trainer’s presentation, complete content design of a new training topic, work with an employee to put together a five-minute video demonstration for their client, research a new topic, send out a needs assessment, put together the status report for leadership, edit a recording of a virtual training, grade assignments on the learning management system (LMS), and prep to lead a session on project management basics — and that doesn’t even include the manager responsibilities I need to do, like check in on my team, team building, answer ad hoc questions — oh, and breathe! Did I mention I am also a mom of eight? I know chaos, and I know how to handle it. And by handling it, I mean time management. What if I told you that making time work for you is a training leader’s true superpower? If you want to be the next “time superhero,” conquering villains like competing priorities, reactive scheduling and the burnout monster, keep reading.

The Unique Challenges of Training Leadership

As a training leader — and superhero — our challenges are unique. Not only are we leading a team of training professionals but also we are almost always doing the work as a team member. Not only that, most of the time when a request gets to us, it’s already urgent.

Why is it that training seems like an afterthought in most endeavors? We spend our days, and sometimes nights, balancing strategic planning with urgent delivery, managing multiple modalities, stakeholders, and tools while trying to convince those stakeholders to bring us in early to increase the chances of getting it right, and shifting between creative work and administrative detail. No wonder training leaders burn out. A  showed that 56% of leaders reached burnout in 2024 and only 30% of leaders feel they have enough time to do their jobs well. I believe for training leaders that percentage is higher. Since our role is very unique, traditional time management doesn’t fit.

Managing tasks, leading a team and being a productive leader in any organization is not easy. It requires experimentation with different time management strategies to see what works best for you and your situation, with the knowledge that it may not be best for someone else or a future situation.

Training leaders can delegate tasks, budgets and even decision-making, but they cannot, unfortunately, delegate time. How a training leader spends their hours is the clearest reflection of their true priorities. If you want to know what matters most to an organization, don’t look at their strategic plans; look at their leaders’ calendars. Strategic training leaders allocate their time intentionally, rather than reactively. View every hour as an investment opportunity in advancing goals, building people and driving results.

The Secret to Effective Time Management

What’s the secret? Keep in mind that everyone is unique, so you need to find what works for you. I’m an early bird, so after I get the kids on the school bus in the morning, I go to work. For the first 30 minutes, I clarify my priorities for the day. If it’s Monday, I suggest looking at what needs to be achieved for the week. If it’s close to the beginning of a new month, define your priorities for the month. These are your “Big Rocks” from the Big Rocks Theory — your must-get-dones; your non-negotiables. Work these into your schedule around any already planned meetings. It helps to have all your calendars integrated and your planner pulled up so you don’t miss anything.

Next, use block scheduling to set a meeting on your calendar to ensure that your 2-3 priorities for the day get completed. This accomplishes a few things: It prevents others from scheduling a meeting with you over your priorities. It also helps you to focus your time where it’s needed. Block scheduling usually works in one-hour blocks of time; however, one-fourth hour blocks of time tend to work best for training leaders. Use what works for you.

Then, build in intentional recovery time or buffer time into your day. This is why one-fourth hour blocks are preferred. It’s much more comfortable scheduling 15-minute chunks of buffer time than an hour block. It’s easier for most to find 15-minute chunks to schedule around other tasks for the day. Why is this important? Because even superheroes need to recover. It’s not realistic to go about your busy day with back-to-back-to-back tasks. This leads to a burnout cycle. And we are adults and do not process information in the same way we did when we were young. Have you ever been in back-to-back meetings without any “recovery” time in between? If so, do you even remember what was talked about in the first meeting by the time you get out of the second? We must have time to process information, and our brains need time to recover.

You must also build in reflection time. Time management is more than tools; it’s a habit. You must change and adapt the way you see and use your time to be a superhero training leader.

Build in 30 minutes of reflection time at the end of your day. During this time, concentrate on awareness. Where did your time actually go to today? Consider:

• Alignment: Was your time aligned with your priorities and goals?

• Adjustment: What small change can you make for tomorrow, next week and next month to get better at time management?

• Accountability: Honestly look at what you did and did not accomplish for the day.

Remember that if you are making any type of change in your time management habits, you need to give yourself and others grace. After all, this is an experiment and is a constantly changing idea. Mistakes are going to happen, and others have to get used to your changes also. Take a positive view: I did not do that well today. What can I learn from that so I can be a better training leader tomorrow? When training leaders master reflection, they strengthen their superpowers and their organization’s learning culture.

Final Thoughts

As a good learning leader, you need to model time mastery like the superhero you are for others. This includes intentional time to drive culture, mentoring others in what’s working and not working, and coaching others to master their time to master their impact. You can start by modeling this by making small, incremental changes this week, and then more next week and so forth. Choose your one-fourth hour window today, or one priority block and schedule it on your calendar and protect it. Trying to make multiple big changes all at once usually fails.

Remember, mastering time means mastering impact. Map out your priorities. Start with small changes. Expect failure and adaptations. Use what works for you. Help others to master their time. And be the training leader superhero you are.