5 time-saving tips for trainers

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Table of contents

1. Tip 1: Use productivity tools
2. Tip 2: Work during your peak hours
3. Tip 3: Take breaks
4. Tip 4: Don’t multitask
5. Tip 5: Learn to delegate

Tip 1: Use productivity tools

Our working styles have shifted since the pandemic, and a hybrid model is now favored. According to Technology in the Workplace statistics from 2022, around 60% of workplaces are implementing a hybrid working model post-pandemic [1]. It’s predicted that only 30% of businesses will go back to the office full-time, and only 10% will opt to work fully remotely.

Around 60% of workplaces are implementing a hybrid working model post-pandemic

Given the popularity of a hybrid model, we’ll likely see a trend toward combining in-person and online training. This is where Easy LMS becomes indispensable: as a trainer, organizing all your e-learning material under one virtual roof is essential to stay on top of a high workload. Doing so will boost your productivity because you aren’t wasting time filtering through scattered training material on your desktop. Plus, you will have the software you need to effortlessly create courses and exams with your company branding front and center.

Tip 2: Work during your peak hours

According to research, most people’s productivity peaks between 8:00-12:00 [2]. That might not be the same for you, of course, so try and keep track of when you focus best throughout the day. If your work as a trainer is flexible, use this to your advantage and work when it suits you! If not, start a conversation with your boss and see if an accommodation can be made.

Tip 3: Take breaks

This one feels slightly counterintuitive. Won’t breaks disrupt your focus and waste time during your work day? Actually, the opposite is true! Working non-stop hinders productivity because we are humans, not machines, and our attention span can only be kept for so long. Breaks don’t have to be lengthy. Just a few minutes will do. Try to incorporate movement into your breaks because staying active is vital to avoid developing physical problems from sitting at a desk all day. The connection between mental and physical health is clear, with research showing that those with physical problems have a much higher chance of developing mental health problems and vice versa [3].

Try these simple modes of staying active throughout the workday:

• Go for a walk outside (preferably somewhere quiet).
• Alternate sitting at a desk with standing (if possible).
• Stretch in between tasks.

Tip 4: Don’t multitask

Got a million different clients to train? Working on all your projects simultaneously could be tempting, but that won’t yield the best results. In fact, research shows that multitasking can [4]:

• Decrease work quality and increase mistakes.
• Increase stress levels and lead to poor decision-making.
• Waste a significant amount of time when you switch between tasks.
• Lower your IQ by 15 points — the equivalent of staying up all night.
• Reduce productivity by up to 40%.

Try working in single item flow instead. To demonstrate why, I’ll give you an example. We played a coin game in the office. The game consisted of four employees, each representing a workstation in a production line and each with their own manager. We also had a client and a CEO. The four employees sat around a table. Their managers stood behind them with stopwatches. The client was waiting with a stopwatch at the end of the production line. The CEO was overseeing, also armed with a stopwatch. The concept of the game was for the employees to flip batches of coins and pass them around the table through each workstation as fast as possible.

Different batches of coins were passed around during each round, one batch of 20 coins, five batches of four coins, and the final round, which was in single item flow. The results were pretty astonishing. There were no errors in any of the rounds, but the final round, where employees passed the coins around one by one, was significantly quicker. As one team member pointed out, “We need to make our tasks smaller to finish the whole faster.”

We need to make our tasks smaller to finish the whole faster

So the next time you have a to-do list as long as your arm, pause and think about the coin game and how working in single item flow will save you more time overall.

Tip 5: Learn to delegate

Have you tried our tips and are still feeling overwhelmed by your training workload? It’s time to delegate! Asking for help isn’t easy, especially when we are proud of the work we do and want to take full ownership of it. However, delegation is proven to boost productivity. One study of 143 CEOs on the Inc. 500 list found that CEOs who delegated enabled their companies to grow faster and build more revenue [5].

Conclusion

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your training workload, don’t worry! These five handy tips will help you make the most out of each workday. There is no one-size-fits-all model for delivering high-quality training services, so find what works for you. Regardless of your working style, the structure that comes with using Easy LMS will enable you to organize your training material and client groups while branding the courses in your company style. Big time-saving win!

Useful resources

1. TeamStage
2. WORKEST
3. Mental Health Foundation
4. Timeular
5. The Grossman Group

Frequently Asked Questions