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:...
Category: Business Growth Strategy
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...
Business Growth Strategy, Leadership
6 Ground Rules for Great Teamwork
Your employees are one of your most valuable resources. Learn the principles and values that are crucial in creating a high-achieving, effective team.