On-farm management series part 1: Self-reflection is critical in leadership positions

This is the first article of a two-part series. In the second article, the author will discuss how culture impacts employee management and why employees need to be put in positions that capitalize on their individual talents. 

The evolution of the workplace during the last 50 years is fascinating. Not long ago, few women were involved in agriculture and Hispanic labor was only available in a few regional areas. Farms were structured so that family labor was supplemented by a small number of part-time workers.

Children on a typical Midwest farm could drive any tractor, back up any implement, milk most cows, and feed, bed, and provide care for any animal on the farm. They could accomplish tasks in the home; cooking, cleaning, watching younger siblings, and any errands that their parents wanted done. As they grew older, it became apparent who would stay on the farm while others moved to town and went to work.

The work ethic of farm kids was appreciated by everyone from high school athletics coaches to factory supervisors to rural business owners well into the late 1980s. However, farms were changing. Economic conditions, regulations and changing expectations for work-life balance drove farm sizes to be larger and increase productivity. These changes were not exclusive to just farms. Businesses across the U.S. faced the same demands. Managing employees became vital to a successful business.

In the 1980s, a generational shift began. If you started working in 1980 in your early 20s, you are looking at retirement in 2025. If you’re like me, a lot of experiences in my career taught me how to be productive and successful. You can look back and recall great people who mentored you and those whom you mentored. You not only made a lot of mistakes, but you averted a lot of other mistakes by pure luck.

My now decades-worth of work experience has shown me only a few key concepts are required to manage employees effectively.

Look inward

Each time a person comes into your life, there is an opportunity to build a relationship, and strong work relationships are two-way streets. When evaluating employee and team performance, first look inward and consider how your actions are impacting the relationship – good or bad.  Ask yourself these tough questions:

• How am I handling myself?
• Am I treating the other person with respect?
• Am I listening to them?
• Am I giving them my full attention?
• Have I followed through?
• Have I been clear in my message?
• Have I made my expectations clear?

If you have not been clear on your expectations, you must take responsibility for a breakdown in the relationship. Self-confidence is essential to a happy and successful life. Over-confidence is a recipe for disaster. I find myself continually working on the relationship between confidence and humility, vulnerability and determination. I learned that often, the faults will be on me personally, but so will the solution.

Who not how

I was having a discussion with a friend about a challenging situation. He suggested the book “Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork” by Dan Sullivan with Benjamin Hardy, Ph.D.

The title says it all. It’s not how to get things done, it’s who you have around you that will help you get places you never envisioned you could be. It’s about identifying people who will make you better, knowing how to push buttons that will make them better, capitalizing on their successes, and having more productive outcomes for everyone on the team.

If we build habits of self-reflection and consciously consider “who not how,” we can better serve the employees we manage and build stronger relationships with them. In part two of this series, we will discuss how culture impacts employee management.