Navigating Farm Relationships

1. Navigating Farm Relationships Successfully dealing with family and employees

2. Objectives • Understand how miscommunications arise from conflicting goals, values, and personality styles. • Understand how to use conflicting goals and personality styles to improve the farm business • Learn about the hiring process including: • Job Description • Job Specification

3. What hat are you wearing? Identifying roles and avoiding miscommunications

5. Miscommunications • Miscommunications arise when two people approach a problem or opportunity wearing different hats. • To help identify and move passed miscommunications: • Be willing to acknowledge the other person’s role, a.k.a. hat • Be willing to look at the problem from their perspective

6. Personality Styles

7. Dominant • Greatest Fear: Being out of control • Motivated By: Challenges, Setting & Achieving Goals, Increased Freedom • Desires: Recognition, Awards, Advancement • When Working with a High D, Do not: focus too much on detailsand problems. • When Working with a High D, Do: be to the point, supply facts. Source: https://www.discinsights.com/personality-style-d#.UrI1IfRDvUU

8. Influential • Greatest Fear: Rejection • Motivated By: Approval, Praise, Fun Environment • Desires: Ability to Influence and Motivate Others, Positive Work Environment • When Working with a High I, Do not: eliminate social time or reject them. • When Working with a High I, Do: allow them to share ideas and help them turn ideas into actions. Source: https://www.discinsights.com/personality-style-i#.UrI1SPRDvUU

9. Steady • Greatest Fear: Loss of Security • Motivated By: Safety, Peaceful Harmony, Recognition for Loyalty • Desires: Repetition, Time to Adjust if Routine Changes • When Working with a High S, Do not: be confrontational and aggressive. • When Working with a High S, Do: provide specifics, be patient, and explain reasoning. Source: https://www.discinsights.com/personality-style-s#.UrI2ZvRDvUU

10. Conscientious • Greatest Fear: Criticism • Motivated By: Information, Logic, Clear Instructions • Desires: Independence, Organized Work Environment • When Working with a High C, Do not: answer questions vaguely or be confrontational. • When Working with a High C, Do: be specific with examples, be diplomatic, and prepare head of time. Source: https://www.discinsights.com/personality-style-c#.UrI4DPRDvUU

11. What personality style are you?

12. Farm Meetings Increase effectiveness and avoid blow ups

13. Farm Meetings • Farm meetings increase efficiency and communication in your farm. • Adopt new practices • Divert disasters • Keep everyone involved • Make consequences more personal • Meetings for different purposes: • Annual meeting for goal setting • Quarterly meeting for financials • Monthly for tactical

14. Improve Meeting Effectiveness • Start and end the meeting on time. • Be prepared and encourage others to come prepared. • Start by reviewing previous meeting minutes and action items. • Stay on topic. • Designate someone to take written minutes. • Wrap up meeting by deciding on action steps and who will take them. • Be respectful. • Identify the hat you need to be wearing prior to the meeting.

15. Job Descriptions

16. Hiring Goal • Our goal is to get the “right people in the right seat on the bus”. • How do we do this? • Identify the tasks that your new employee will be doing • Identify skills, knowledge, abilities needed prior to developing job posts • Consider how personalities will fit with the job/work environment

17. Hiring Process • Cost of hiring the wrong employee: 30% of their first year’s potential earnings* • Hiring Process: • Identify need for new employee, can you afford new employee? • Create job description and job specification • Post job and get referrals • Review resumes and contact references • 30 minute interview • Next interviews – review benefits, policies, expectations • Probation period *Source: http://www.hr.com/en/app/blog/2012/03/who-are-you-really-hiring-10-shocking-hr-statistic_h09y2ol0.html

18. Job Description v. Specifications Description Specification List of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform tasks in the job description. Needs CDL Ability to operate heavy machinery Knowledge of diesel mechanics Knowledge of Quickbooks Skills in financial analysis • List of duties and responsibilities of the employee. • Assist in field preparation, seeding, and harvesting • Fix combines, tractors, and other equipment • Keep books up to date, prepare financial statements including P & L, balance sheet, cash flow

19. After Hiring • After hiring, it is important to keep employees motivated and engaged. This will increase efficiency in your farm business. • Mentorship/training period for new employees • Employee evaluations • Offer education or certification opportunities • Offer instant positive feedback

20. Homework • Identify the “hats” you wear in your farm. • Complete your personality test. • Discuss how farm meetings can help increase productivity in your operation. • What type of meetings could benefit your farm? • How often does your farm need a meeting? • Who needs to be involved in the meetings? • Develop a job description and specification for your current employees.

21. One Minute Takeaway • Take a minute to write down one or two ideas or takeaways from this lesson.

22. Sieverkropp Consulting LLC. Contact: Elizabeth Sieverkropp esieverkropp@gmail.com (509) 398-6858 Website: www.sieverkroppconsulting.com Training Program Homepage: www.sieverkroppconsulting.com/fsa-borrower-training-program-homepage