Three types of Resistance to Change I don't like it. I don't understand it. I don't trust you. Written for MILK magazine and originally published Aug. 2023 The entire dairy industry is going through massive restructuring and change. These changes are forcing dairies to scale up to remain competitive, working with suppliers, finding labor, and finding a market for the milk. The changes are also coming from within as many dairies transition the business to the next generation. These changes are profound, and change is hard. Not every dairy will make the transition to the new dairy economy. While sad,...
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Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
Core Values – strategic planning part 2
Using Core Values Understanding your farm's values creates clarity and alignment around what we care about at a gut level. Written for Farm Futures and originally published 6/28/2023. Last week I outlined the benefits of using formal strategic planning on farms. In addition to aligning generations as part of a transition plan, a strategic plan creates alignment and helps farmers be proactive versus reactive. Farmers tell me that strategic planning allowed them to jump on the right opportunities and hire the right employees faster because it was clear what they truly wanted. I have found that the more successful the farm, the...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning, Uncategorized
Good Conflict is Necessary – Really, it is.
Good Conflict unearths all possible scenarios and the best solutions Written for Progressive Dairy and originally published June 2023. High-functioning family businesses need good conflict just as much as they need the right protocols for production. "I don't see it that way at all! I don't think you are seeing everything," a key employee emphatically exclaimed to one of the owners. Several long seconds passed before the owner quietly asked, "OK, how do you see it, and how did you come to your view?' The setting was a strategic planning retreat I was facilitating. This group included two owners and...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
Strategic Planning Part 1
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 it, it's time to start again. It's hard to think and plan for next week, let alone something longer. Yet some farms can plan and execute short, medium, and long-term plans and reap the benefits. The farms that execute run smoother, whether it is a dairy farm in New...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning, Uncategorized
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 asked a variation of this question. "How do I get the rest of the owners or leadership team to make the changes we need to make?" "I give them the facts, but we don't make a decision." Change is necessary to survive and thrive. No one operates their dairy the...
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Work-Life Balance, or Work-Life Boundaries
Embracing boundaries allows all family members to grow at work, and at home. Written for Farm Futures and originally published 3/14/23. Have you ever heard that Good Fences make good neighbors? It's true even within family farms. How many hours can you expect from yourself? How much time does it take to complete all the work and still have time for some of the kids' events? Even if you want to work 90 hours a week, do the next generation and your employees find this an enticing lifestyle? As a farm owner, there is never true balance because, ultimately, what...
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Do most important work first
You likely have a to-do list, but what about a stop-doing list? Written for Farm Futures and originally published March/April 2023. The farm to-do list never ends and often seems like it has a life of its own. It continues to grow even as items are checked off. Many farmers are almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that needs to be done. What is the answer? As farms become larger and more complex, we recommend professionalization wherever possible. In this case, prioritization and time management. Time management and prioritization aren't about doing more work. It's about doing...
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How well-maintained is your business?
Time spent honing your leadership, communication, and management skills is seldom wasted. There are plenty of resources and coaches that can help your progress. Written for Dairyherd.com and originally published 3/3/2023. We all need to find and keep great people for our farms. This is truer than ever before. Maybe you have heard the phrases, "we need the right people on the bus" and "they need to be in the right seats." This sounds reasonable. It's not a secret that farms have a competitive advantage when they consistently find and keep good employees. Part of keeping an employee is...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning, Uncategorized
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 hard. Difficult decisions are often made, and there is bound to be conflict in a multi-generational farm enterprise. How a family farm navigates conflict is a large factor in its success. Here is some good news: The family enterprise, or farm, has many strengths that not all businesses possess....
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
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 of managing people struggle to connect with employees and keeping everyone aligned with the goals? How often have employees been promoted because they have the technical know-how and work hard, but no one wants to work with them? Great leaders are goal orientated but realize they need to build a...