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 their goals. They communicate well and teach their employees to feel a sense of ownership. More importantly, they are authentic. They lead by example. Influential leaders motivate everyone to become their best. Positive influence is powerful. Negative influence is also powerful. But instead of motivating towards growth, it fosters distrust...
Category: Business Growth Strategy
Business Growth Strategy
Three questions to ask of any new business venture
All that glitters is not gold. Farm incomes are down, and it may be tempting to start an off-farm business to produce non-farm income. You are probably excellent at production ag, but how well do those talents translate to this new venture? One owner confided to me that, "We have so many business ventures come across my desk in a week we would choke if we tried to take advantage of all of these good deals." His point was the deals were good, but they took his focus away from his core business. Another farmer bought a sawmill production plant...
Business Growth Strategy
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 not easy nor clear cut. People are the principle asset of any business. Without good, well-trained people, your business may get stuck. But great businesses focus on their people as much as they do the production. Does managing employees have to be stressful? No Does it have to be reactive? ...
Business Growth Strategy
Stop focusing on things that don’t matter
The farm to-do list never ends. There is always one more thing to be done, and then another chore pops up that needs taking care of. And of course, the weather always plays a factor in determining what does or does not get done and when. Many farmers are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work to be done. What is the answer? Prioritization and time management! However, prioritization is not a skill that comes naturally to most farmers. How do you decide what is more important than another equally important task? Stephen Covey's Time Management Method You may have...
Business Growth Strategy
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 may lie in HOW you bring a new employee onboard. It takes time and effort. Don’t leave it to chance. My latest blog post gives you the checklist you need to onboard employees. Use it to help them become outstanding, long-term team members. Click here to download the full article:...
Business Growth Strategy
Do Your Employees Feel Safe Coming to Work?
Dairy farmers are essential, and we knew this before any health crisis arrived. Even with COVID-19, many farms are carrying on with daily work, and not much has changed. As owners and managers of the dairies, you each make certain the cattle are cared for, fed and milked on a set schedule, regardless of what is happening in the world around you. There is plenty of work to do and plenty of help needed. Amid all the vulnerability and uncertainty encompassing the COVID-19 epidemic, what actions are you taking to ensure your employees feel safe at work? Do they feel...
Business Growth Strategy
Still Oppurtunities in 2020
Executive Farmer Network Tactics and Takeaways Even with a poor farm economy many farms are doing more than just OK. There is a big spread between farm profitability even if on the outside they look the same. The most profitable farms are taking advantage of the current farm weakness to strengthen their farms in a couple key areas. Agriculture in the USA and Canada has been tough for several years and it is still unclear how the current recessions from the COVID virus will play out. Let’s face it. Life and business are often unclear and sometimes a true crisis erupts, like COVID, that changes everything. At least...
Business Growth Strategy
How to Select the Best Candidate for Managerial Roles
Who really fits the bill? Gallup has found "companies fail to choose the candidate with the right talent for the job 82% of the time." Download this checklist This astounding statistic is one business owners should avoid at all costs. Because it costs the business. A poor manager can drive away quality employees, create divides within the teams, decrease employee engagement and drag good people down. These results all cost your business money. When it's time to fill a managerial role on your farm, take the time to select and train the best candidate. Avoid just "moving someone up" to...
Business Growth Strategy, Succession Planning
Why conflict can be a good thing
Conflict is often viewed as negative but not having the right kind of conflict, often leads to bad conflict later. In an earlier article, we discussed the importance of having trust amount your leadership and owner team. Your farm team may be open and honest with each other, trusting, but do you talk about tough issues or dodge them? What will happen if the issues never get resolved because no one wants to tackle the tough topic? Can the farm move ahead without dealing with the sticky issues? Read the full article here. https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/why-conflict-can-be-good-thing Want notified when we post new blogs?...
Business Growth Strategy, Uncategorized
Who is that person in the mirror
Sometimes the person we see isn't who our employees see. Written for Dairy Herd and originally published in January 2020. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? I am not talking about your good looks, your financial status or your rocking abs; I am referring to your persona. Often, we believe we are someone quite different than the impression we leave with others. Is it our vibe, our distant engagement, or our drive to move forward at a fast pace? We have all been taught that it does not matter what others think of us; we...