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A frequently asked question in property management training is, “As a training administrator, how can I help employees find time for on-the-job training?” In Part 2 of this 3-part blog series, we address this question and provide you with simple yet effective steps to help you engage your learners to want to complete their training more effectively.
How to Make Time for Training in Property Management
Part 2 — Planning With Purpose
In Part 1 of our three-part series on making time for training in property management, we acknowledged that finding time for employees to complete on-the-job training is one of the biggest challenges multifamily training administrators face. Therefore, the first strategy we covered focused on how to thoughtfully analyze and assess schedules to optimize employees’ time and unlock busy schedules.
By the way, if you haven’t read Part 1 yet, be sure to do so; it’s a quick read! Click here to read Part 1.
Once you’ve spent time on personal reflection, identified “time-wasters,” and better understand your employees’ daily routines, it’s time to start planning — but with purpose.
And that’s the focus of Part 2 of this blog series, where we look at two key strategies for planning with purpose: removing obstacles that hinder training and designating dedicated time to ensure it becomes a consistent priority.
Let’s explore how these approaches can help you create a more effective and manageable property management training schedule.
Clear the Way for Impactful Property Management Training
The first step in planning with purpose is to review your notes and observations from the analysis and assessment phase and begin taking action. Identify opportunities to optimize schedules and eliminate inefficiencies.
As a reminder from Part 1, here are some (but not all) of the key areas you need to consider:
- Meeting efficiency and timing.
- Processes related to paperwork.
- Delegation of duties.
- Scheduling.
While not trying to belabor the analysis and assessment phase, it’s a critical step toward making time for training, and these observations will help you identify obstacles that may be standing in the way of effective time management.
As an organizational leader, you play a critical role in creating an environment that prioritizes property management training. So, carefully consider what steps you need to take to help your team members overcome these obstacles and succeed.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Can you eliminate unnecessary tasks or meetings?
- Is there an area in employees’ daily routines where you could implement a more streamlined process?
- Is there a way to address a distraction or solve a recurring issue?
Even a slight adjustment to an employee’s daily routine can free up meaningful time for training in property management, and these incremental changes can compound significantly over time.
Remember, optimizing an employee’s schedule doesn’t just free up time for training; it also improves their overall job satisfaction. Employees who feel supported in overcoming challenges are more likely to be engaged and motivated, which benefits both individual performance and team dynamics.
And as we know, engagement matters. In fact, a Gallup study found that “Engaged employees make it a point to show up to work and do more work — highly engaged business units realize an 81% difference in absenteeism and a 14% difference in productivity.”
After you’ve taken some steps to clear the way for training, now it’s time to dedicate time to it.
Designate Time for Training in Property Management
As Steven Covey once famously said, “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent, and not enough time on what is important.” Training for your property management teams is important. But without a designated time, training is far more likely to fall victim to what seems urgent, becoming sidelined and never happening.
Even if no additional time has been freed up, you MUST create the space. This means the next critical step is to evaluate each employee’s day to identify the best possible window for delivering impactful property management training.
It’s easy to feel like there’s no time for training, but let’s approach this with a non-negotiable mindset: Training must happen. So thinking about it that way, if you had to select a 30-minute window for training, which time slot would be the least disruptive?
Six factors to consider when identifying the optimal training time:
- When is the workload typically the slowest?
- Are there periods with greater employee coverage to allow flexibility?
- When do outside requests (calls, walk-ins, etc.) tend to be fewer?
- Could paperwork or routine tasks be consolidated and shifted elsewhere in the schedule?
- What time of day appears most feasible for training?
- When does the employee feel most alert and receptive to learning?
While the decision doesn’t have to rest solely with the employee, their input is incredibly valuable. Training scheduled during a time when the employee feels sharp and focused will not only ensure it gets done but also enhance comprehension and retention.
For instance, an employee who dislikes training may perform better during their peak energy hours. Conversely, someone who spends their day interacting with customers might view training as a welcome mental reprieve and prefer it during slower afternoon periods.
Once these considerations are weighed, an ideal time slot will likely emerge, even if other tasks continue to demand attention. Whatever that time is, make it official. Write it down, and ensure the employee does too. This is now “training time,” a consistent commitment to professional growth.
Setting a Foundation of Success
Planning with purpose is more than a time management strategy — it’s an investment in your team’s growth and your organization’s success. By removing obstacles and designating intentional time for training, you create an environment where professional development becomes a consistent priority rather than an afterthought. These efforts demonstrate to your employees that their growth matters, fostering higher engagement, better job satisfaction, and improved performance across the board.
As you implement these changes, remember that the small steps you take today will lead to significant long-term benefits. Incremental improvements in scheduling and training can have a compounding effect on efficiency, morale, and even your team’s ability to provide exceptional service to residents.
Stay tuned for the third (and final) blog in this series, “How To Make Time for Training in Property Management: Part 3 — Prepare To Prioritize,” where we’ll discuss how to maintain momentum and ensure training remains a sustainable part of your property management operations. Together, these strategies will help you build a culture where development thrives, and success becomes second nature.
