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 reinvestment goes far beyond just dollars and cents. It also requires personal and emotional reinvestment for each generation. Without both financial and emotional reinvestment, the farm will eventually cease. Firms have used strategic planning in one form or another for decades. In years past, when farms were smaller and less...
Blog
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
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 all the work. They need the help of family and/or employees. It's at that point the farmer must follow the principles of leadership over management. Have you ever been frustrated with your employees, a family member, or even yourself? We all have. Do you sometimes feel the "people" side of...
Uncategorized
Farm Crisis: What do we do now?
How to manage first 30 days after an accidental farm death. Originally published at Farm Futures in their October 2022 issue. Farming is a dangerous profession, and the chance of severe injury or death is real. Most of us have at least heard of the work-related or farm-related death of someone we know. Sometimes, these are children, but often, these deaths are of owners or key decision-makers. Unfortunately, several of our clients have been through farm-related deaths, which is never easy. Farms have contingency plans for chemical spills, manure spills, and other events mandated by law. However, contingency plans...
Succession Planning, Uncategorized
Gain Traction on Farm Transition
Originally published at Farm Futures on 9/28/22. While many farmers are unsure, maybe nervous, about the transition planning process. Not starting the process often makes things worse for everyone. However, getting started is often the hardest part. We'll explore how you can get transition traction, so your farm legacy stands tall. Most of us have pulled out some equipment that was stuck in the mud. Getting unstuck usually involves a plan of how to get unstuck, some basic equipment suitable for the job, and getting the ropes hooked up. But at every step, it takes communication, coordination, and...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning, Uncategorized
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 plan. Yet deep down, we all know that no dairyman takes their cows into the grave. Here is a typical example. For decades the senior generation was in full command and maybe are still the majority owners. It's their name on the checks and their name on the barn. Yet...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
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 the top three concerns in our transition planning meetings. It's hard to move ahead and transition the farm without a plan of both family and outside family labor. Owners' time is precious, and we've found certain employee activities drain that time. Stack those time drains together, and leadership ends up...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
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. So here are the basic principles to have a flourishing partnership. Principle #1 - Run it like a business Run multiple "what if" scenarios of sales, expenses, debt levels, and startup costs. Assume that not everything will go smooth and build in a fudge factor. This will cover the unknowns...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
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 almost a decade ago, so the exact details around the disagreement are foggy. Back to the story. Father leaned forward in his chair and declared that the issue of compensation during his retirement needed to be resolved, and it was "time to get it all out on the table and...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
Better Communication, Less Confusion
Hold quarterly team meetings to keep goals moving forward and communication flowing. Written for PROGRESSIVE DAIRY and originally published in the March 2022 issue. Are you sometimes left wondering if your employees understand the farm's priorities and goals? Do your employees ever feel they get conflicting messages and wonder, "What does the boss want?" You are not alone; communication is always a challenge. When we survey farms, we find that improving communication is almost always one of the top three priorities. The truth is, people power your business. The more engaged and inspired your employees are, the more productivity and...
Succession Planning, Uncategorized
How to Handle Emotional Conversations
Four steps to mediate and solve emotional disputes in your family business Originally published at Farm Futures on 3.10.2022. A couple of weeks ago, Liz and I gave a presentation hosted by PDPWs Dairy Signal. It was a live-streamed conversation with farmers, and the topic was How to Get Your Communication Unstuck. We took questions from the audience, and one question stuck out. We hear a version of the question often, so if you have it, you are not alone. The question dealt with how to deal with the emotions that sometimes come up in tough conversations. Below is the...