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“Good retention starts with good recruiting. The challenge is finding people who are willing to be there for the right reasons…”
Guide HR, Management

Tapping into a new source of farm workers

Traditional labour supplies are running short. Why that may not be a bad thing

By
With farms getting bigger and with rural populations getting smaller, it’s no surprise you’re having trouble finding local employees with the farm skills and the experience you want. That doesn’t mean you have no options, however. The solution may be to look beyond candidates with ag experience and to begin to look in other sectors […] Read more
When looking for a mentor, find someone who isn’t too busy and is a good listener.
Guide Business, Guide HR

Want to be a more successful farmer? Find a mentor

How you can harness the power of mentorship

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Research shows the five-year survival rate for small and medium enterprises jumps from fewer than half to more than 70 per cent if mentors are involved. That’s according to Virginia McGowan, a certified mentor who witnessed this powerful transformation while running a mentorship program for a group of 70 female entrepreneurs in Charlottetown, P.E.I. The […] Read more
The internet has made it more difficult than ever to separate what you should believe and what you should reject.
Guide Life

‘Learn to discern’ in the information age

Are you sure you’re wise enough to know what you can believe on the internet, and what you shouldn’t?

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We are living in the Information Age. We’ve created more information in the past few years than in all of human history, says neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Levitin in his book, A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age. In theory, the internet puts all this great material at our fingertips, but the […] Read more
Phone snubbing or “phubbing” is a term used to describe when someone glances at their phone while you are talking to them.
Guide Life

Get smarter with your smartphone

Your phone is engineered to be addictive. No wonder it pays to set your own rules

By
There’s no doubt that smartphones are an incredible tool for farmers. We get the power of the internet in a device that fits in our pockets. With it comes the ability to check the weather, sell grain, listen to an audiobook, or identify a weed at the touch of our fingertips. Add in social media, […] Read more
“Creative thinking is like a muscle that needs to be flexed on a regular basis in order to remain strong. The more you flex it, the more you are able to problem solve on a daily basis and the higher your level of creativity.
Guide Life

How to strengthen your creativity muscle

Yes, you can become more creative, and more nimble as well. Then, both will help you meet the challenges you’ll face in 2019

By
Every recent study on the future of work seems to highlight the growing need for creative thinking skills. With the fast pace of change, business leaders are telling us that a foundation in business basics is no longer enough. Soft skills like creativity and creative problem solving will be essential for adapting to the ever-changing […] Read more
There’s no point in faking empathy as people are keen to the signs if a person is being insincere.
Guide Life

The good news on empathy

Empathy is becoming even more important in our disconnected world. Now, new research shows how we can all get better at relating

By
We tend to live immersed in bubbles made up of people who look like us, think like us, and behave like us. And it’s getting worse. As more and more of our communications move to the digital world, we become increasingly detached from one another and unable to appreciate another’s viewpoint if different from our […] Read more
Employees are looking for a role, not just a job, says Curwen, in cap, front row, right.
Guide Business, Guide HR

Grow your people

On a global tour, Nuffield Scholar Reece Curwen finds the top farms always treat employees as an investment, not a cost

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At 32, Reece Curwen farms with his family 500 kilometres south of Perth in Western Australia, where the farm produces canola, barley, wheat and sheep on 8,000 hectares. Yet although the farm is so geographically distant from Canada, when it comes to the people management side of farming, it might be right next door. As […] Read more
Guide Life

Learning styles

Everyone learns their own way. So what’s best for you and your team?

By
We’re told there has never been a time in all of human history when things have changed at such a rapid pace. And this is especially true for agriculture. Nor are farmers just letting it happen. Instead, they’re embracing lifelong learning to prepare and to adapt, whether it’s learning new software programs, farm business management […] Read more
Sometimes a simple “thank you” can be enough to let a worker know they're appreciated.
Guide HR

Reward positive behaviour

HR Management: If something is supposed to be a reward, it has to feel like one

By
With a tight labour market, farmers are looking for ways to attract and keep good employees. They naturally turn to incentives and rewards to try to keep employees happy and productive. However, getting it right when it comes to employee incentives is tricky business. “An incentive to one person can be poison to another,” explains […] Read more
Uncivil behaviour frequently occurs when there is a power differential and a mistaken belief that “nice guys finish last.”
Guide Business, Guide HR

How much did that off-colour joke cost you?

More than you probably think, because we all work harder and better in workplaces where we feel respected

By
If you think those off-colour jokes, sexist comments, or the occasional angry outburst are harmless, you should think again. The research is clear that rude behaviour can hurt your farm’s bottom line. For more than 20 years, Christine Porath, an associate professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has […] Read more

AgCanadaTV

AGCanadaTV: In Case You Missed It – Your National Ag News Recap for the week ending August 16, 2019.

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