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 later. The biggest business obstacle to his wife and daughter was the absence of the paperwork that allowed his business to continue. As leaders of successful dairy operations, you understand the importance of developing and using documents. My guess is your farm office is full of manure maps, dairy comp...
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Business Growth Strategy
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 their team’s suggestions have value. Asking for input and then not initiating a plan to repair the problem is like adding more fuel to the fire. It is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a leader. When you ask but do nothing in return, employee engagement decreases...
Uncategorized
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 ll was about to begin, and the horror of an invasion was on the doorstep of Great Britain. Great Britain was not prepared, and defeat seemed inevitable. There was a massive national movement to get ready, but even then, the outlook was grim. There were many ideas about what to...
Business Growth Strategy, Leadership
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 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...
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:...
Succession Planning
We wouldn’t be having this conversation if….
When times are tough, and everyone is under stress all the imperfections bubble to the surface. The imperfections were there all along but aren’t visible until our backs are against the wall. This is especially true of transition planning. My latest Farm Futures article covers some of the problem areas we often see at farms of all sizes and locations. Click here to download the full article: Deal with transition planning before it's too late Common Problems -Tying compensation to ownership -How the next generation builds equity -Providing for the senior generation income while not harming the farm -Conflict among...
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...