‘Tis the season of giving. Here’s my list of “gifts to give your business family.” Note that I’m defining ‘business family’ as your farm team, made up of actual family and those you cherish and want to treat like family.

Clarity

What questions are they hoping you will answer? It could be clarity on who’s going to be in charge, reassurance on the farm’s financial footing, certainty on retirement plans. Maybe it’s “what are you going to do about (fill in the blank name of problematic team member)?” Uncertainty can be exhausting and de-energizing.

More change or more stability

What’s your style? Do you tend to like tried and true methods and habits? That may get boring for others. Or do you like to shake things up – maybe you jolt others a bit too often? Then, try to do the opposite this time.

Your team might be excited to experiment with a small trial of a new crop next year. Or they might be relieved to hear you’re not going to switch sprayer brands for the third time. Perhaps the decisions are not as significant as those examples. The idea is to consider how you could vary your pace to accommodate your team.

Gratitude

Heartfelt thanks goes a long way, and should be given often, repeatedly, and in different formats.

I recently started using an app called Three Good Things to record three things I’m grateful for each day. It is a pleasantly simple app with no fee and doesn’t require setting up an account. My answers are often related to a person, which has encouraged me to make sure I actually thanked the person that day!

Related:18 gifts for the farmer on your list

A treat to energize

This relates to the previous gift of gratitude. Many of you are generous with bonuses this time of year, and some have traditions of team parties or events. Good for you! I challenge everybody, and you, to think about how to deliver a special treat this year. Something different, heartfelt, or picked out for individuals.

Random ideas that come to mind to get you started thinking:

You get the idea. Showing others you value them re-energizes the team for next year (and doesn’t hurt in a really tight labor market).

What else is on your gift list?

Davon Cook is a family business consultant at Pinion. Reach Davon at [email protected].

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.