Have you come to the end of a long day and still felt guilty about not working harder and longer? Have you felt guilty about not spending more time with your family and friends but kept working? Have you worked long hours but wondered whether you were making any progress?

The U.S., like many countries around the world, is facing a continuous decline in its agricultural workforce. The word transition accurately reflects the concern experienced by many cattle producers, who recognize their production depends heavily on the availability of labor.

I have had many conversations with my clients about past emotional conversations and assisting them in preparing for an upcoming conversation they fear may become emotional. This article is to assist you in preparing to succeed as a supervisor in those conversations.

You’ve been putting in the hours. You show up before dawn, you work, you haul, you fix, you hustle. That’s how every farm leader starts – by proving they can do the work.

One of the most challenging actions for business owners to take is to transfer some of their responsibilities to someone else. Most owners tend to be fiercely independent, driven by a clear purpose and focused on specific goals.

If there’s a phrase that rings true in the ears of any business owner or manager, it’s that “a business is only as good as its people.” And in a world where automation is rapidly transforming many industries, the cattle business remains one of the few that still relies heavily on people.

Two employees are having a conversation about work, and one mentions that they heard that a co-worker of theirs is having marriage problems. A lengthy conversation, based mostly on unfounded information, ensues. One of those employees then tells the rest of the employees about all the personal struggles their co-worker is experiencing.

The H-2A temporary agricultural workers program isn’t a backup plan anymore – it’s the only legal, reliable and proven labor solution for the modern farmer or rancher. The question is no longer if you’ll use it, but when.

Recall how you felt or how you would feel if you hired an employee who left after a day, three days or a week. Unfortunately, this is common today. In fact, research shows that approximately half of all new employees seriously consider quitting in the first week.