What makes the difference between employees who are happy at work and those who are miserable? 

Feeling good about yourself can help the family farm succeed by making you better at making decisions, dealing with problems, negotiating and leading.

The modern agriculture landscape often calls for a more strategic approach – one that may involve identifying and grooming a non-family successor.

Over time, the strength and size of unified family assets create a competitive advantage over the farms that fragment their assets with each generation. I don’t believe many people set out to erode family assets, but it often happens by falling into some of these transition planning traps.

While the expressed purpose of hosting a weekly auction is buying and selling livestock, we all know that a good portion of the folks making themselves comfortable in those worn-out bleachers show up with no intention of letting go of a single penny.

Decide today that you are going to become more self-aware and self-controlled around the way you communicate to your farm team. I strongly believe good communication is the foundation of successful farms. Talking and listening well is the ultimate risk management tool.

Transition planning is never easy or simple, but some cases are much harder than others. If you are at an impasse, it may be time to evaluate the consequences of continuing with a transition plan so you can make the hard decision sooner rather than later.

We have seen partners and executive leadership teams mistakenly discount the importance of company culture and harm the operation’s performance. Culture is the unique way the organization lives out its purpose and values.

It’s an exciting time when the next generation determines that they are going to pursue a career on the farm.