Reading Time: 3 minutes Some farmers seem to have a talent for developing new markets, new products, or new and better ways of getting things done. They innovate. Is that talent something they were born with? More to the point, can your enterprise promote innovation and creativity? Does environment contribute to innovation, and can you, as a leader, support […] Read more
Guide HR: Nine tips for innovation
Innovation can be successfully harnessed on today’s farms. Here’s how
The new employee
Are your HR skills holding your farm back?
Reading Time: 8 minutes Farms keep getting bigger and more complex. But at the same time, farm families keep getting smaller, with farming couples having fewer kids, just like other Canadians. On many farms, this collision of demographic and economic trends means the days of running the farm by putting the family to work are gone. You can’t even […] Read more
Guide HR: Can you develop a thriver’s mindset?
These seven steps will help you thrive, not just survive
Reading Time: 3 minutes We face challenges and disappointments. What is it that determines whether you will overcome these and thrive, or merely survive? Some people have developed a thriver’s mindset. They are masters of challenge and change. They grow during difficulties by leaning into stress, and by relying on special resources. There is good news, however. Science is […] Read more
Guide HR: A question of charisma
Good leaders seem special. It’s a talent you can grow
Reading Time: 3 minutes People with charisma stand out. It’s a trait that we associate with leadership — that something special that makes an individual seem exceptional. But it turns out that charisma has little to do with good looks, wealth, titles or authority, and although it can seem that individuals with charisma must have inherited it at their […] Read more
Guide HR: Declutter your life
Be happier and more productive
Reading Time: 3 minutes Today, people have a lot more “stuff.” Houses are bigger, there is more storage space, and with new technology, online “clouds” store our virtual photos, videos, and documents. It seems as though there are an infinite number of spaces to accumulate “stuff.” Is it good to have so much stuff? Does all this stuff actually […] Read more
Guide HR: How to deal with a manipulator (without going crazy yourself!)
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is always about him. He doesn’t care about his children or spouse or employees’ needs. He treats me like I cannot think for myself and that I have no value. I’m going completely crazy.” Does this ring a bell? If so, you’re probably dealing with a manipulator. We all manipulate from time to time. […] Read more
Guide HR: If the roller-coaster goes on too long
Be watchful of what are seen as less-severe mood swings
Reading Time: 3 minutes If it sometimes feels like your roller-coaster never really stops, maybe you suffer from cyclothymia, a mild version of bipolar disorder. You wouldn’t be alone. I have met dozens of producers who have this disorder, and who come to see it as the source of their misfortunes. Obviously, they consult me when they’re “down” because, […] Read more
Guide HR: When the fuse is too short
Reading Time: 3 minutes “My family is all a bit hot-headed. I am like my father and grandfather. We get angry quickly, but we cool down fast. The problem is that when I’m angry, I don’t really think about what I’m saying or doing.” Strong emotions, whether positive or negative, significantly affect our judgment. They impair our ability to […] Read more
Guide HR: A goldfish is sharper than you (thanks to smartphones)
We think we do more in this age of instant information, but the quantity and quality of our work actually suffers. We lose on every metric: health, productivity and relationships
Reading Time: 4 minutes Researchers recently surveyed 2,000 Canadians and also studied the brain activity of 112 individuals using electroencephalograms. What they found is quite intriguing. Canadians’ average attention span was 8.25 seconds in these studies in 2015. In 2000, it had been 12 seconds. The average attention span of a goldfish is… nine seconds. How did this happen? […] Read more
Guide HR: Are you stressed?
Reading Time: 3 minutes We’ve studied stress in the workplace for years to try to mitigate it. Organizations like Forbes and Careercast have even published their Top 10 lists of the most stressful jobs. The careers on these lists include firefighters, police, airline pilots, and surgeons, which makes sense because people in these jobs after all are responsible for […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
