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Try this approach for working through challenges in your operation.
3 Min Read
Getty/iStockphoto/JJPan
If you’re like the farm leaders I know, then you’re constantly thinking of ways to improve your farm operation and make it even more successful. Whether it’s implementing new techniques, integrating new technology, or upping the farm’s game when it comes to using financial metrics, farm leaders are always working to continually improve their businesses.
It’s also true that if you’re making any type of change within your farm operation – whether a large-scale change or something smaller that still makes a big impact on your success and numbers – then you’re probably going to face something less than positive at some point. I’m thinking of setbacks or roadblocks that might pop up along the way.
Consider it now
If you’re doing anything worthwhile – like building and leading a professional farm operation – then you will face a setback at some point, no matter how hard you’re working to anticipate challenges.
It’s best to be prepared in terms of knowing how you’ll deal with challenges when they come, even if you’re not dealing with a specific one at the moment.
The key is how you approach the setback. Ultimately, you can use it to propel you forward rather than stop you in your tracks – even stopping your change effort – if you take the right mindset.
Manage challenges on the farm
Here are three ideas on how to use a setback to ultimately keep your forward momentum headed in the right direction.
Reset your mindset. For most people, our first reaction to a setback of any sort is generally going to be negative. That’s a very “human” and instinctive reaction – and it’s ok if that’s the direction of your first thoughts. But try not to stay in the negativity zone after that initial reaction. Take a minute to try to intentionally reset your thinking about what just happened. This doesn’t mean telling yourself that the setback is a good thing. It simply means resetting your thought process, so you have all your creativity available to think about solutions and your next steps forward. Doing this first is critical to being able to gather all your resources before deciding what you’re going to do next.
Remind yourself of the end goal (or goals). Change can be a challenging process in a farm business, so when you encounter a setback, the next thing to do is to get very clear again about what the goal of the change is – and why you’re moving toward that change in the first place. How will the change make your business more successful? Will it help accomplish another major goal, such as bringing in the next generation? Consider the larger reasons for why you are working to make the change in the first place.
Carefully consider the next steps. As you tweak your plans for moving forward, think about what may or may not need to change in your plan. It’s an opportunity to make your plan even better. Do you need to make major changes – or maybe just minor ones? Would it help to get your plans laid out in writing, if they aren’t already? For complex, changing situations, that’s usually the best way to approach it – and then revisit your plans to adjust them as needed.
Market motivation
The farm’s marketing plans certainly require farm leaders to be able to change and pivot in a flexible way. Creating individualized, responsive marketing plans is key, particularly in the current volatile grain market.
Our market advisors partner with and bring education around different marketing tools. They also help farmer clients with planning and execution around marketing decisions.
Get a free two-week trial of our marketing information service (MarketView Basic). Your free trial includes regular audio and video updates, technical analysis, recommendations and more. Or learn more about our market advisor programs and offerings at www.waterstreetconsulting.com.
The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.
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