John was ready to start his succession plan. He was 63 and wanted to get the process done quickly. He had a plan. During our first meeting, we discussed history, core values, and culture. John's response? What does this have to do with transferring the farm to my sons? Most family businesses do not successfully transition to the next generation. It is an unfortunate fact, and family farms are no exception. Why don't they make it all the way? There is often unmanaged conflict based on incompatible values and a fuzzy vision of where the farm is headed. As we...
Business Growth Strategy, Dairy Signal - PDPW, Succession Planning
Family Dynamics in Farm Management – Dairy Signal
Does working with family or transition planning seem too hard? You're not alone. Family dynamics can make it difficult, but harmony is possible with the right plan. Liz shares tips and answers questions on the PDPW Daily Signal. Listen and watch here. It aired March 2nd on PDPW's Dairy Signal Show. Ready to find out more? Give us a call
Business Growth Strategy, Dairy Signal - PDPW
Giving & Receiving Feedback – Dairy Signal Episode 2
How do you handle feedback? A strong leader listens even if they don't fully agree. Listening builds trust. When trust is high everyone is open and honest with each other, and everything is easier. Listen to this video-cast and learn to improve your feedback skills. The result? Your business will run smoother, your stress will be lower and your employees happy.
Business Growth Strategy, Dairy Signal - PDPW
Managing Effective Teams – Dairy Signal Episode 1
We are excited that Liz is a part of the Dairy Signal Show. It's a series of presentations that PDPW (The Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin) puts out 3x/week. Liz will be participating at various times throughout the year. We'll keep you updated when she's on, and post recordings of her talks here on our blog. In January Liz had her first episode. She spoke about 'Managing Effective Teams." You can listen to it below. SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: Hire Right Onboard effectively Right people on the bus Train Communicate (Listening and speaking) Giving & receiving feedback Stay & Exit...
Succession Planning
Is your family committed to the farm?
Lack of a shared vision may be one of the most significant threats to sustaining a family business through multiple generations. Roughly 83% of family farms do NOT make it to the third generation. Developing your own family's vision will greatly increase the odds in your favor. Your family farm is not the same as it was when you started it. It has evolved over time due to financials, demand, land availability, technology, and hard work. You have and will continue to feed the world in a highly competitive environment. When farming was financially sustainable many farms wanted to continue...
Succession Planning
The Power of a Transition Plan
And the Failure when there is none. Bob, a dairy farmer college of mine, operated a successful 600 cow dairy. Like most of us, he thought he had a lot more time left in this world. Unfortunately, Bob was diagnosed with cancer on a Monday and died just two weeks later. The biggest business obstacle to his wife and daughter was the absence of the paperwork that allowed his business to continue. As leaders of successful dairy operations, you understand the importance of developing and using documents. My guess is your farm office is full of manure maps, dairy comp...
Business Growth Strategy
Don’t Ask If You Can’t Handle the Truth
As business owners, you want content and engaged employees who stay for the long haul. That requires open lines of communication and an effort on your part to seek feedback to improve employee morale and culture. However, sometimes it is hard to handle the truth, and some business owners don’t believe their team’s suggestions have value. Asking for input and then not initiating a plan to repair the problem is like adding more fuel to the fire. It is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a leader. When you ask but do nothing in return, employee engagement decreases...
Business Growth Strategy, Leadership
Influential Leaders. Inspire? or Deflate?
Each day, we, as leaders, influence our teams. We influence them with our passion, work ethic, and desire to progress. We can either be a positive influence or a negative one. The choice is ours. Great leaders understand the importance of positively influencing others. They help them grow and reach their goals. They communicate well and teach their employees to feel a sense of ownership. More importantly, they are authentic. They lead by example. Influential leaders motivate everyone to become their best. Positive influence is powerful. Negative influence is also powerful. But instead of motivating towards growth, it fosters distrust...
Business Growth Strategy
Plan for People Power
As farmers, you plan for future. Future crop rotations, increased herds, capital purchases, and hopefully even some well-deserved time off. Unfortunately, what many businesses neglect to plan for is the PEOPLE. The people who work on your farm and support your vision. It's easy to neglect people management because it's not easy nor clear cut. People are the principle asset of any business. Without good, well-trained people, your business may get stuck. But great businesses focus on their people as much as they do the production. Does managing employees have to be stressful? No Does it have to be reactive? ...
Business Growth Strategy
You hired a new employee. Now What?
You want great, long-term employees on your farm. It doesn’t happen by chance. It takes effort. Yet when many farm managers hire a new employee, they tend to throw them to the wolves with little or no guidance. Too often good employees quit. And no one knows why. The answer may lie in HOW you bring a new employee onboard. It takes time and effort. Don’t leave it to chance. My latest blog post gives you the checklist you need to onboard employees. Use it to help them become outstanding, long-term team members. Click here to download the full article:...