Reading Time: 4 minutes You’re busy, of course, so finding an excuse for not doing annual performance evaluations with employees and team members looks so very tempting. Would it really be so bad if you pushed the reviews onto the back burner? The answer is an unequivocal “yes,” according to Dr. Sara Mann, an associate professor specializing in human […] Read more
The annual performance review
Does it really make sense to put employees and team members through a performance appraisal?
Guide HR: Sibling rivalry
… and how to prevent it destroying your family business!
Reading Time: 4 minutes A family business can have many positive advantages, including strong cohesion among members and a shared commitment to success. However, family businesses can also sometimes be highly conflictual and chaotic. It seems your strength can become your weakness. Managing a business with family members creates several issues that can have a huge impact on the […] Read more
Guide HR: When the in-laws cross the line
Reading Time: 4 minutes “You cannot imagine what it’s like to live close to your parents-in-law.” I often hear this from clients. But I can. When I was young, my brother and his wife were neighbours of the family home. As a farmer’s spouse, I lived across from my parents-in-law for 30 years. Eventually, I became a mother-in-law myself. […] Read more
Guide HR: Vacations: Why do you need them?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout have never been so high across all industries, but we see it particularly in the farming business. Even though technology purports to simplify our lives, we’re experiencing more and more over-investment in work. Many farmers tell me they’re exhausted, with no time to catch up. Moreover, everyone wants it […] Read more
Guide HR: Nine tips for innovation
Innovation can be successfully harnessed on today’s farms. Here’s how
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: 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
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
