Episode 138: Creating A Culture of Productivity

Jan Lehman of CTC Productivity (Circle The Client) has taken organization and productivity to a holistic level. Can The Clutter has become CTC Productivity this year. The branding change came through her evolving organizational work and productivity focus in both home and work environments. Download

She believes in not just making changes with individuals. Her focus is on working with progressive leaders who will hold the baton through change to create a culture of productivity in time management, technology, and talent. 

Jan, her husband, and their three children moved from Oregon to Minnesota in 2013. It was a great move and Jan expresses her happiness with the growth and profitability of her company, along with being in Minnesota. She employs 3 full-time staff and five sub-contractors.

She grew-up in Bloomington, Illinois, went to college in Bloomington, Indiana and was hoping to live in Bloomington, Minnesota but that didn’t happen. She worked in Corporate America until she had children. Eventually she started Can The Clutter. Jan has always been conscientious of time management, not being wasteful.

Jan connected her work ethic and productivity with revenue results during her teens. She worked at an ice cream shop through college. At some point, she asked her boss if instead of being paid an hourly rate could her wages be based on the profitability of the company? Yep, an entrepreneur in the making.

She has three siblings living in three different states: Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Her Mom lives in Indiana.
We have a wonderful, easy flowing conversation filled with ideas for building a culture of productivity through time management, technology, and talent.

The Three most valuable ways of being productive.

Time: how you and your team and employees use their time and manage their time.

Technology: better manage emails, workflow that leverages technology, automating processes, customer relationship system. How do we abuse email?

Talent: making sure people are in the right seats and passionate about their jobs. A tip: procrastination is a place to analyze if a person is in the right role. What are your natural skills? Most coachable and most effective are a few ways to measure executive team members and employees.

Listen in for more insights, Jan’s current projects, and tips like retention policy ideas and electronic policies to consider. What do you have in your car that aids in productivity?

Mentoring Tips

After listening to our conversation:

  • Make a list of the skills you are good at. Have your staff do the same thing. Compare notes.
    • Is everybody in the right seats and doing the work they are good at? Talk about it and see if the discussion leads to a bigger question about the level of productivity in the culture you have created.
    • Maybe this exercise leads to a bigger conversation about the work environment that could lead to more efficient practices, increased productivity, and a happier work climate. Find out. Let me know what you discover.
  • Track how you use your time for a week and how you feel about the activities you are engaged in, every day this week. At the end of the week, assess where you are at and what you have observed. Jot down ways you can save more time.
    • Make a list of your main feelings throughout each day.
    • What activities were tied to those feelings? Try creating a stop doing list which is a list of activities that generate negative feelings or activities that snuff out or drown out your deeper feelings.
    • Make a list of the activities that bring you joy, and energize you.
    • Have those you work with make the same kind of list. Share those ideas and discover what you notice.
    • Are those you employ passionate about the work they are doing? Even if the work includes mundane tasks, is your staff happy to contribute?
  • Notice the quality of your work. Observe the quantity of work you are doing.
  • What activities generated money that day. What activities generated money for tomorrow?
    • If you have employees, have your staff do the exercise with you. You could make it a contest to see who was the most efficient person in the office(s)? Or, you do the exercise with your executive team and they do the exercise with the other employees.

Creating A Culture of Productivity     Episode 138    CTC Productivity

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Resources

  • CTC Productivity Blog
  • What is a Productivity consultant? A productivity consultant is similar to a time management consultant. They train people on how to use their resources more efficiently within the company’s structure, and they also market their training and business organization services to managers. (Productivity Consultant Definition)
  • Global consulting industry revenues (including HR, IT, strategy, operations, management and business advisory services) have grown from $470 billion in 2016 to roughly $488 billion in 2017, according to Plunkett Research estimates. A steady increase every year. In 2013 the industry generated $136.5 billion. (Plunkett Research)

Podcast Guest Mentor

Jan Lehman. Jan is an executive coach, productivity consultant and speaker. She is the founder and CEO of CTC Productivity. CTC is a Twin Cities-based, woman-owned and operated business. With over 20 years of corporate consulting experience, Jan is not just an expert in the field of productivity, she personally understands the unique challenges of leading a busy professional life. With three young children and a company to run, Jan fully understands the importance of maintaining a work-life balance.

The roots of Jan’s business acumen and people-first attitude can be traced back to her formal education. She earned a business degree in Operations and Systems Management with a minor in Psychology from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. CTC is the perfect forum for her to blend her people skills and productivity expertise.

Prior to launching CTC, Jan worked for a number of Fortune 100 companies, including an expatriate assignment in Stockholm, Sweden, with Kraft Foods, and a consulting role at Accenture, the world’s largest consulting firm. As a consultant, she was responsible for optimizing and streamlining the business processes for Fortune 500 companies, including the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), World Book Encyclopedia & United Airlines.

Jan helps clients all over the country. She is currently the Vice President of NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) Minnesota chapter. Jan was recently named a 2018 Women Who Lead Minnesota Business Magazine Honoree. Reach Jan at jlehman@ctcproductivity.com.

At CTC Productivity we strive to “circle the customer” and provide a holistic approach to ensure our clients are organized and productive in all areas of their life. Our team of experts is ready to help you meet your productivity goals and organizational challenges, both at work and at home.

The mission of CTC Productivity is to help individuals and organizations understand their organizational challenges and provide self-sustaining solutions that improve productivity and reduce stress.

We provide a holistic approach to helping clients at home as well as work. We have found that many clients are stressed out before they even get to work! 

Episode 138: Creating A Culture of Productivity

Nancy A. Meyer, M.A.
Author: Nancy A. Meyer, M.A.

Nancy A. Meyer, M.A., is a seasoned entrepreneurial leader, business and life mentor/coach/teacher, podcaster, author, and certified mindfulness yoga and meditation integrator (she integrates those skill sets into everything). Nancy’s compassionate and collaborative approach reinforces resilience while maintaining accountable conversations supporting how you redefine your lead while redesigning your business. Nancy calls this “Dual Innovation Leadership.”   Nancy founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to change the leadership in our country by providing emerging and existing business owners with mentoring in Dual Innovation Leadership. She has mentored thousands and is eager to work with you! Assert self-leadership and get started today! Clients say, “Nancy is a compelling, engaging, and ‘decipher the trees from the forest’ kind of mentor, speaker, and leader. A dedicated entrepreneurial leader and mentor who role models what she preaches. Her style and candor enrich the content she delivers and the results clients experience.” Nancy accepts people where they are while inspiring them to breakthrough into new dimensions:  As an Entrepreneurial Leader (Innovator),  As a Competent Business Owner (Practitioner)  As a Mentor (Role Model)  As a Spiritual Being and Self-Leadership Master! Start by subscribing to WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST. Join your peers and...

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