Are you planning for young family members to join your business, with the goal of an eventual management role?

You’ve probably heard the advice that working elsewhere first is ideal. I know people who’ve been quite successful without that. Yet in general, it’s a good idea to consider for several reasons.

And in the times when life gets tough and we’re questioning our choices – which most of us do at some point, it’s good to have experience that shows the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

The range of skills they can acquire elsewhere is wide: practice being accountable to show up on time and answer to an (unrelated) boss; finance, marketing, supervisory, agronomy, or technology skills; experience developing people on the team. Bringing those skills and experiences home builds value in your business.

If it’s too late in your case, but the need still exists, think creatively about how you might deliver off-farm experiences. You could swap an employee with another business for a period of time. The next generation could work elsewhere in the off-season or pursue off-site leadership and management training.

Off-farm skills and experience build value in the business, while the higher levels of confidence and credibility confirm your investment.

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.