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Management

Deciding the culture you want for your business and then creating is a difficult process.
Guide Business, Management

Creating the outward-looking business

AME management: Do you know the type of culture you want for your business?

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Last month’s column addressed outward-looking versus inward-looking businesses. The idea sensitized me to watch other organizations (and to check myself!) to find evidence of one or the other. Often, the evidence is mixed. Three examples A hotel where we have hosted CTEAM for several years had the same three young guys providing support for the […] Read more
Businesses can avoid becoming hamstrung by finding out what customers want instead of focusing on selling what they have.
Guide Business, Management

Outward-looking business

AME Management: It takes discipline, but an outward focus pays off in more business

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Have you ever been disappointed that people who work for you don’t take initiative to do what you want done? You don’t feel comfortable getting away for a week because things won’t get done the way they are supposed to? You and the generation ahead of or behind you have ongoing tension that stands in […] Read more
What action do you take when some people in your organization are underperforming, and those who can are leaving?
Guide Business, Management

Leader development versus the quick fix

Management without leadership is like tightening a nut with no wrench on the bolt head

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Every once in awhile I have a casual conversation that goes like this: “Leadership is nice (guess what comes next), but I have real problems right now, and I have to do something; I don’t have time for leader development, I’m busy.” In my view, we are all busy, but this sentiment is the verbal […] Read more
Are you confident with the direction you're getting from advisors as you inch closer towards a farm transition?
Guide Business, Management

On offer

Two new transition services show how the advisory sector is evolving. How do your advisors compare?

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Reading Time: 6 minutes When the words “transition process” come up, they often provoke a sigh or maybe even a shudder. Nor should anyone pretend that transitioning your farm business will be anything but a lengthy process, or that it won’t involve difficult conversations and decisions. But as always, if you’re equipped with the right tools and methods, the […] Read more
A successful partnership is one that shares in the achievements of whatever the individuals are jointly involved in.
Guide Business, Management

Leader effectiveness meets the leader

Good leadership points you in the direction of building a successful business

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Reading Time: 3 minutes I want to share what I’m noticing in small business these days in terms of leadership, and what I say to those who ask about leader effectiveness. First, I also want to say that I do not share client stories even with the names redacted. Agriculture is just too small, and my work with leaders […] Read more
From left, Jennifer and Jay Bruggencate, and Mike and Kelly Sulzle.
Guide Business, Management

Dream team

In Vector Grain, the Bruggencates and Sulzles are collaborating on a joint venture to make their longtime farming dreams a reality. It takes dedication and smarts, and loads of professional advice. But it’s paying off

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Reading Time: 8 minutes Mike Sulzle had worked as Craig Shaw’s hired man for 16 years when Shaw approached him in 2015 with surprising news: 2016 would be his last year farming. “Craig had always said I could take over when he quit farming one day, but it wasn’t serious,” says Sulzle. “I didn’t see how I could do […] Read more
Young farmer using laptop on field
Guide Business, Management

The road ahead

Our panel tackles the question: What are the big farm business risks for the next five to 10 years — and what skills, actions and mindsets will be critical in taking them on?

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Reading Time: 9 minutes Picture yourself driving in traffic. Then, you begin noticing that the traffic is increasing, not just in the number of vehicles around you but also in the speed they are travelling at. Some of the traffic rules seem to be changing too, and the driver controls in your vehicle are all new and confusing as […] Read more
"Meetings — really short but every single day, are an absolute necessity in a high-performing team. All the highest-performing businesses do this in one form or another.”
Guide Business, Management

Time to Talk: Creating opportunity

Yes, you can talk your farm to a better bottom line

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Since farming is all about productivity, most farmers would rather “do” than talk. The old cliché that time is money is never more true than when seed needs to get into the ground or livestock needs to get to market. And yet, some of the most successful farm businesses in the country are those that […] Read more
"Establishing a process for change with clear steps for the transition of leadership provides comfort for everyone because they participated in creating it.”
Guide Business, Management

Creating a culture of participation on the farm

Participation is about more than just joining in. It’s about contributing in a meaningful, valuable way

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Reading Time: 3 minutes “Participatory culture” is where this series of columns has led us. That’s because, at the end of the day, when we talk about continuous improvement, it’s not just about changing our business but also our behaviour. It’s about the older generation creating environments where the next generation feels comfortable sharing their opinions and making mistakes. […] Read more
Are you willing to give up the comfortable anonymity of commodity sales? If yes, and if you do it well, the market may have room for you. But pay close attention to those costs.
Guide Business, Management

Beyond commodity agriculture: Business decisions for your farm

AME Management: Whatever approach you take, the aim should be to improve your bottom line

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Reading Time: 4 minutes When commodity prices are on their way to finding a bottom, many producers look to change their business model away from commodity crop and livestock production. While this is not a new phenomenon, it is becoming a more important strategy as the traditional commodity strategy — i.e. to increase scale — becomes harder to execute. […] Read more

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