Think about how we handle non-personnel problems – a sick animal, a wilted crop or a high somatic cell count. Even though we are all well-trained to address these issues, we still often treat symptoms rather than taking the time to analyze the problem to determine the real or root cause.

Think about how we handle non-personnel problems – a sick animal, a wilted crop, a dissatisfied customer. Even though we are all well-trained to address these issues, we still often treat symptoms rather than taking the time to analyze the problem to determine the real or root cause.

Over the last 50 years, we have gone from feeding hay and grain to balancing rations for amino acids. With crops, we have gone from planting seed from last year’s crop to selecting varieties with specific nutritional traits.

We begin with a formula for feedback that, when implemented, will increase performance and enhance job satisfaction: Large quantities of specific positive feedback + Continuing excellent redirection feedback = Reduced need for negative feedback + increased productivity + greater job satisfaction

Our world continues to change at an increasing rate. The goal of this article is to identify challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and their impacts on your leadership and management of your beef production business.

Last winter, I had the great honor to deliver the keynote address at the New York State Agricultural Society Forum. In this article, I share what I told that audience of agricultural leaders of New York state.

What emotion do you think I observe the most when I visit with employees and their supervisors? The answer is: frustration. Many employees are very frustrated with their jobs and their supervisors. Many supervisors are frustrated – even exasperated – because their employees are frustrated and less productive than desired.

Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the father of the quality movement in emphasizing the importance of learning to continuous improvement, stated:

Misunderstanding the changing workforce in this country could be as damaging to your dairy as low milk prices. Below are some comments I hear; please check the ones you think are true:

A couple years ago my wife and I spent a fantastic two-week vacation in Italy (with Road Scholar educational programs). It had been an embarrassingly long time since I took a true vacation – no work, no emails, no phone calls.