“You have really good managers, but where’s the leader?” Family businesses work so very hard to be financially strong. They may be great at production and administration of the business, but sooner or later: values are tested motivation is required conflict necessitates resolution coordination requires communication and compliance vision is needed accountability is necessary the […]
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I just finished a series of late summer and early fall presentations at several farm shows. After speaking on family business, many questions and stories began to sound quite familiar. Attendees shared information about their family and business and asked, “How in the heck did we get in this mess?” The Common Story: For several […]
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Perhaps you’ve heard this expression: “The shortest pencil is better than the longest memory.” That is especially true when working in a family business. In fact, I’d add one more sentence: “If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist!” I’ve found legal documents; standard operating procedures (SOP); written plans for the transition of management, leadership […]
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Old habits die hard. Sometimes they don’t ever die, even if they come at an obvious cost. Author Douglas Adams wrote three principles about new technologies that could fit most farm CEO’s looking into new management technologies for farm operations: 1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and […]
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The average age of the US farmer is 58, and that means lots of farms are facing the succession challenge: the successful formal transfer of management (and ownership, in many cases) from one generation to the next. While the succession process is usually not easy and takes preparation, it is definitely worth it: bringing the […]
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