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Why it’s so important to clarify who is doing what
Family Farm Success: Try this clever business tool to ensure everyone is on the same page in your business.
2 Min Read
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I’ve heard these comments repeatedly on farms:
“I thought you were doing that; why didn’t you take care of it?”
“I can’t believe you bought (fill in the blank) without asking my opinion!”
“I didn’t even know you bought a new planter. No, I didn’t add it to the insurance.” (unfortunately realized after an accident)
“When is Mom ever going to hand off some of this? She’ll never be able to retire if she keeps doing every single thing.”
Sound familiar? I have found there’s a tool that can prompt conversation to clarify who is doing what — and what might need to change. It’s a well-known concept called a RACI matrix. I simplify it down to RCI— Responsible/Consulted/Informed.
It’s a matrix with tasks on the left and individuals across the top.
Make a list of the major task areas in running your business. Be sure you cover all the functional areas, e.g., production tasks, office recordkeeping, finance. You’ll see the beginning of a typical crop production list above.
For each task define who is:
Responsible (R): Individual who completes or manages the completion of the task.
Consulted (C): Individual who provides input on the task, whose expertise or buy-in is needed.
Informed (I): Individual who needs to be aware of the completion of the task because it will affect his/her own work, or because he/she should be kept informed due to status/role.
Having team members do this separately and then compare answers can bring light to areas of confusion that may be frustrating some. Or just have good conversation around it, while considering any adjustment needed.
It’s also helpful in succession planning. What assignments need to change over time to engage the next generation? What do you need to hand off, meaning you move from Responsible to Consulted, and eventually just Informed? What training does the successor need before being Responsible? Use this to create a 1, 2, or 3 year transition plan when it’s relevant for your business.
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.
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