Posts Tagged ‘Farming’

Who wants the farm and when ?

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Hey folks,
I have been on the road lots this winter. Last Saturday I had the adventure of sleeping on the floor in the Beiseker Town Hall when my hubby and I got caught in a true Alberta blizzard! Thanks to the kind folks of that town we had an enjoyable stay. Right now I am in Arizona working with www.infusionsoft.com an internet marketing and database group that is going to fix my follow-up failure. So we are enjoying the desert for awhile.
This week I spoke to the Credit Union Central sponsored seminar entitled “Who wants the farm and when ?” I will be presenting this again on March 23rd in Langenberg Sask. and March 24 in Redvers. Sign up in the events section of www.wflc.ca or call 1-306-569-4567 to register for the 3 hour event.
The farming parents are looking for financial certainty for their future, what to do with non-biz heirs, and a new residence. The next generation is also looking for certainty, mostly timelines that will be acted upon, and they need a decent farm income also. I am concerned that many folks have no wills, no financial snapshot of their lifestyle needs, and no clue how to get the conversation started.
Please join us to help your farm family start to talk about the tough issues, and discuss the undiscussabull(TM)
If you can’t make it to the seminar, call anyway, so we can create new seminars for your town in the fall. There is also a great deal of interest in the Okanagan, so let us know your committment to make changes for your farm business.

Remember, it’s your farm. Your family. Your choice.

How to manage stubborn farmers…

Friday, February 13th, 2009

How to manage stubborn farmers…
when problems seem unsolvable.

I just got off the phone with a frustrated farmer. He is trying to make new plans with his farming partner, but the partner refuses to cooperate. People are in charge of their own behavior. They don’t like being told what to do, or shoved in a certain direction.

What are the options?

Do nothing. Avoidance of conflict is a habit of many.
Stew. Making yourself sick is not good self-care.
Gather support. Talk to others involved in the conflict and brainstorm some options.

Seek professional input. Coaches, agrologists, accountants, and farm advisors have seen many stories before. You make think that you are alone, but you aren’t. Ask for input and wisdom from your advisory team.
Control what you can control and let go of expectations. Letting go is a key coaching concept for being able to plan for change. If you accept the stubbornness of another person as the way things are, get on with making your own plans. See if you can find something positive about the time you are waiting for a breakthrough.

works for you in managing stubborn farmers?