If you ask almost any Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Lead what they need more of, the answer is almost always the same.
Time.
Between coordinating certifications, organizing field trips, communicating with teachers and students, meeting Ministry requirements, updating records, arranging transportation, recruiting sector partners, and somehow finding time to support students individually, the role has grown far beyond what many people imagined when they first accepted it.
The reality is that most SHSM Leads aren’t struggling because they aren’t organized.
They’re struggling because they’re trying to do everything.
Over the years, we’ve worked with hundreds of SHSM Leads across Ontario. Some seem to effortlessly manage multiple sectors, dozens of employer partnerships, and hundreds of students, while others feel like they’re constantly putting out fires.
The difference usually isn’t that one person works harder than another.
It’s that they’ve developed systems.
Small habits, repeated consistently, can save hours every single week. Individually they may only save ten or fifteen minutes, but together they can free up enough time to focus on what matters most—creating outstanding opportunities for students.
Here are ten habits we’ve noticed among the most effective SHSM Leads.
1. Create One Resource Instead of Answering the Same Question Repeatedly
The first is surprisingly simple: stop answering the same questions over and over again.
Every SHSM Lead has a handful of questions that arrive every week.
“When is the bus leaving?”
“What should I wear?”
“Can I still register?”
“Will lunch be provided?”
Instead of replying individually each time, create a Frequently Asked Questions document that can be shared with students and teachers before every activity. Better yet, keep it online and simply update it for each event. A document that takes an hour to build today can easily save dozens of emails over the course of the school year.
2. Plan Further Ahead Than Feels Necessary
The second habit is planning further ahead than feels necessary.
It’s amazing how many problems disappear when events are scheduled early. Transportation becomes easier to book. Employers have greater flexibility. Teachers can plan around absences. Parents receive more notice. Students are less likely to have scheduling conflicts.
Many experienced SHSM Leads tell us they try to have major experiences booked months in advance—not because they enjoy planning, but because it dramatically reduces stress later in the year.
3. Consolidate Your Communication
Communication is another area where small changes make a significant difference.
Rather than sending several emails each week, successful SHSM Leads often bundle information into one clear weekly update. Teachers know when to expect it, students receive fewer messages, and important details are far less likely to be buried in overflowing inboxes.
Good communication isn’t necessarily more communication.
It’s better communication.
4. Build a Library of Reusable Templates
Another time-saving strategy is to stop recreating documents every semester.
Permission forms.
Packing lists.
Parent letters.
Employer thank-you notes.
Certificates.
Risk assessments.
Field trip checklists.
Most of these documents change very little from year to year. Maintaining a digital library of templates means future events become exercises in editing rather than starting from scratch. Over time, those saved minutes quickly become saved hours.
5. Let Technology Handle the Repetitive Tasks
Technology can also become one of your greatest allies—if it’s used intentionally.
Shared calendars allow teachers to see SHSM events at a glance. Online registration forms eliminate manual data entry. Automated confirmation emails answer common questions before they’re even asked. Shared folders ensure everyone is working from the latest version of a document rather than searching through old email attachments.
The goal isn’t to use more technology.
The goal is to eliminate repetitive work.
6. Build Relationships with Trusted Partners
One of the most overlooked productivity habits has nothing to do with software at all.
It’s building strong relationships with reliable partners.
When you’ve worked with the same trusted transportation company, employer, speaker, or training provider several times, planning becomes dramatically easier. Expectations are already understood. Processes are familiar. Communication becomes faster.
Strong partnerships don’t just improve student experiences—they reduce administrative workload as well.
That’s one reason many SHSM Leads prefer working with organizations that can coordinate multiple services under one roof. Fewer vendors often means fewer purchase orders, fewer invoices, fewer emails, and fewer logistical headaches.
7. Batch Similar Tasks Together
Another habit shared by experienced SHSM Leads is learning to batch similar tasks together.
Instead of answering emails throughout the day, they dedicate specific blocks of time to communication.
Instead of processing registrations one at a time, they complete them together.
Instead of preparing one event from beginning to end before thinking about the next, they complete similar administrative tasks for several upcoming events at once.
Research on productivity consistently shows that switching between unrelated tasks reduces efficiency and increases mental fatigue.¹ Working in focused blocks allows people to accomplish more in less time while making fewer mistakes.
8. Build Systems Instead of Relying on Memory
Perhaps the biggest lesson we’ve learned from exceptional SHSM Leads is that they don’t try to remember everything.
If an important detail exists only in your head, it’s only a matter of time before something gets forgotten.
Great coordinators rely on systems instead of memory.
Checklists.
Calendars.
Shared documents.
Planning templates.
Running sheets.
Simple processes reduce stress because they reduce decision-making.
Pilots don’t use checklists because they lack experience.
They use them because experience has taught them how important consistency really is.²
9. Delegate More Than You Think You Can
Delegation is another skill that often goes underused.
Many SHSM Leads feel responsible for every detail of every event, but there are countless opportunities for students themselves to become leaders.
Students can assist with registration tables.
They can welcome guests.
They can help organize lunches.
They can introduce speakers.
They can photograph events.
Not only does delegation save time, but it also develops exactly the leadership and employability skills SHSM programs are designed to foster.
10. Don’t Let Perfection Slow You Down
Finally, remember that perfection is rarely the goal.
Students will remember inspiring speakers.
Meaningful conversations.
Hands-on activities.
Career exploration.
The confidence they gained.
They won’t remember whether the agenda used Calibri or Arial.
It’s easy to spend hours polishing details that have very little impact on the student experience.
The best SHSM Leads know where excellence matters—and where “good enough” really is good enough.
Perhaps that’s the biggest productivity lesson of all.
Saving time isn’t about working faster.
It’s about protecting your time for the work that has the greatest impact.
Every hour saved on administration is another hour that can be spent connecting students with employers, developing new partnerships, supporting teachers, or helping young people explore careers they may never have considered before.
At Flashpoint Training, we work with SHSM Leads every day, and one thing continues to impress us.
Despite increasing administrative responsibilities, changing program requirements, and growing expectations, SHSM Leads continue to create extraordinary opportunities for students across Ontario.
If a few small changes to your systems can give you back even one extra hour each week, that’s more than fifty hours over the course of a school year.
Imagine what you could accomplish with an extra week of time.
Sometimes the most valuable resource in education isn’t a bigger budget or another staff member.
Sometimes it’s simply a better system.
Footnotes
1. American Psychological Association. (2023). Multitasking: Switching Costs. Research consistently demonstrates that task-switching reduces productivity and increases errors. https://www.apa.org
2. Gawande, A. (2009). The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. Metropolitan Books.
This version keeps the narrative style while making the article much more reader-friendly. The numbered H2 headings improve scannability and SEO, while the paragraphs retain the “magazine article” feel instead of becoming a simple list. It’s a good balance for both Google and busy SHSM Leads.