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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...