What's the Plan? A good strategic plan allows for better and faster decision-making at all levels. Written for Farm Futures and originally published May 2023. Farms are busy places, and there is always more work than time in a day. One day and season runs into another; before you know...
Category: Business Growth Strategy
Why do People Resist Change?
Have you ever wondered why some topics, people, or plans resist change? Written for MILK magazine and originally published May 2023. The dairy conference "season" is drawing to a close, and you undoubtedly have many good ideas you would like to implement on your dairy. After my presentations, I'm often...
How to build a stronger business-first farm family
Keeping and building family connections across generations is the single most effective way to reduce conflict. Written for Farm Futures and originally published 2/23/23 The ties that bind us together can get frayed over time. How connections are strengthened makes all the difference. Surviving and thriving in any business is...
Soft Skills for Owners
The needed skill in a tight labor market Written for Progressive Dairy. Originally published Jan 2023. How often have you seen a highly skilled manager fail in leading their team? Some signs are high turnover, lax standards, and low morale. How often have you seen employees or owners in charge...
Strategic Planning isn’t just for Fortune 500 companies
Your farm will regenerate and reinvent itself to thrive in a changing world. Building commitment and alignment between the family and the business is key to a lasting legacy. Written for MILK and originally published in the Nov/Dec 2022 issue. Farms, and dairy farms, in particular, require constant reinvestment. But...
Why Farm Leadership Matters
Farmers who choose to lead have an advantage over those who just manage. Originally published at Farm Futures in their November/December 2022 issue. Old employee management and leadership techniques can be a bottleneck to farm growth and profitability. There comes a time on most farms when the founders cannot do...
Moving from Commander to Coach
The most powerful move you'll make is moving from the commander to the coach. Written for MILK Magazine and originally published in the July/Aug 2022 issue. It's fairly common for farmers never to retire. So common, in fact, that we seldom hear the phrase uttered when going through a transition...
How to Assess Your Teams Performance
Rank your employees from basic skills to MVPs, then focus on how to help them level up. Written for Farm Futures and originally published at https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/how-assess-your-teams-performance on 6/27/2022. Gone are the days when employees were cheap and easy to come by. Labor, including working with family, is always one of...
What makes a successful Partnership?
Partnerships are a great idea. You pool together talents and money to go farther than each party could by themselves. Written for MILK Magazine/DairyHerd and originally published at https://www.dairyherd.com/news/business/what-makes-partnership-successful on 5/23/2022. Some partnerships are large endeavors, and others are smaller. But no matter their size, some flourish, and others don't....
Dealing with Discomfort
There is more than one way to handle conflict Written for Farm Futures and originally published in their May/June 2022 print issue. The Father and son sat across from each other, building tension. The topic was compensation within their family farm as part of their transition plan. This meeting occurred...