Emotional intelligence has become a significant topic for development and mentoring as well as a key criterion for management and leadership positions.

Don’t be afraid to compensate well and provide annual, merit-based raises or bonus structures into the employee budget. Good employees are hard to come by, and keeping them will be much easier than finding them again.

Beyond being a standard of business, providing a safe work environment has a trickle-down effect that impacts all other facets of BQA implementation. Human safety is the backbone of an effective, thriving cattle operation.

The exact location and intensity of summer thunderstorms is somewhat unpredictable. Don’t allow the frequency of storm watches lull you into complacency. Severe weather – such as a tornado – can form quickly and turn deadly in just moments.

Since well over 50% of feedyard injuries involve employees who have been on the job for less than 12 months, immediately providing safety training for new employees is the best way to ensure they have the necessary information to complete job duties in a safe manner.

Surveys of ranch employees indicate many forgo higher-paying jobs to pursue the culture and lifestyle that comes with ranching. Sure, wages and benefits are important, but ranch employees are motivated by means other than financial compensation.

Feedlot managers must know the abilities of both riders and horses in order to avoid putting them in situations they aren’t equipped to handle. If necessary, the manager should be ready to provide training for either rider or horse to help them acquire necessary skills.

Several years ago, a junior high school principal was getting regular reports from the custodial staff that the girls’ bathroom mirrors had lipstick on them.