I hear over and over that meetings are a waste of time, or that they worked for a while and then it wasn’t worth the effort anymore. There are a host of reasons for this ineffectiveness.

Imagine what beef production and agriculture will look like in 30 years. We all recognize that beef production and everything else is changing at unprecedented rates.

Whether the dairy is a smaller operation, with the family all pitching in on whatever job needs doing, or a large operation with round-the-clock specialized crews, effective teamwork is crucial to performance. Just like a successful sports team, effective teamwork – under the right leadership – can prime your dairy for success.

Dairy farms are similar to the aggregate industry in that they spend a significant amount of time handling materials, from feed and manure to sand and livestock. Ross Veltema and Allen Bonthuis took their farming backgrounds and dovetailed them into their aggregate businesses.

I first taught about mission statements almost 40 years ago when we developed the Pro-Dairy program in New York state. Over time, my thinking has continued to evolve and, hopefully, improve by including vision and values.

Annual goals, whether outlined at a company’s annual meeting or a personal New Year’s resolution, all have the same challenges. With a full year allotted to accomplish them, the sense of urgency is diminished, and those involved become complacent.

The world of business continues to change and evolve at a tremendous pace. The workplace and workforce has changed significantly, especially in the last 10 years. The practice of management, however, has been frozen in time for more than 30 years.