It doesn't have to be confusing. Build Accountability Blueprints to manage your farm's transition. We can send you a SAMPLE ACCOUNTABILITY CHART Click Here Unlike other businesses, farmers rarely hand over the keys to the next generation and walk away. Most of the time, the process is gradual for...
Who’s in charge? – Part 1 Stepping on Toes
Working together, yet apart, helps keeps the peace. It was a fairly standard discussion around a pretty simple question. "Who is in charge of doing the books?" There was an awkward pause as both Mom and daughter look at each other but said nothing. After further discussion, it turns out...
Delegating is a skill every leader should master
Have you ever delegated a task to an employee and then felt the need to step in and take over to ensure they did it correctly? Do you ever have the idea that you told someone to tackle a job, but you can't remember who? Are you so busy putting...
Perks and Pay can DeRail your Transition Plan
Too much of a good thing. Posted at farmprogress.com on 5/11/21 The farm owns the homes. The farms buys the owner's personal vehicles. The farm buys gas in the bulk tank and everyone fills up their personal vehicles. The farm owns the lake home. And the boat. At first it...
How to hire the best temp help
Back in March we visited with Ben Potter, of Farm Futures, about the best practices in hiring temporary help. Ben then captured the ideas in an article on Farm Futures website here. You can download and print it here. 2021 03 How to hire the best temp help-BenPotter . Or...
Why you should manage each employee differently
Why you need different strokes for different folks. "Plug and play" is what we all want with employees. Just hire them, put them in a cab, and don't worry about them. They'll do an expert job. Plug them in and turn them loose. In reality, this management philosophy doesn't work....
How to start the farm transition conversation
Starting a transition plan isn't easy. It's not only hard to know where to begin, but how do you even begin the conversation? The stakes are high, and many farms don't make a successful farm transition for many reasons. Procrastinating the initial transition conversation is one of them. The younger...
Sometimes Ya Gotta Let Go
As business owners we are good at adding. Adding more acres, more sales, more landlords, and more employees. More is a sign of success; at a certain point, more can limit new opportunities. Some opportunities may be growing the farm, succession planning, or building your employee team. There comes a...
Do you have the right people on your bus?
Is there a Third Question to Ask? You have probably heard the phrases, "we need the right people on the bus," and "we need the employees in the right seats" on that bus. These phrases imply we need to find the right people to join our businesses and then make...
Keep Calm and Carry On
Keep Calm and Carry On Lessons on Resilience & Hope from Great Britain -1939. I saw this phrase several years ago and never paid much mind to it. What does it mean, and where did it come from? Does it apply to us today? The year was 1939. World War...