Many of our clients are approaching a crossroads, where they are starting to ‘cap out’ with their current management team. The management team is often made up of the husband and wife, and possibly one or two more junior members of that operation. However, the husband and wife are still having to do most of the thinking and the work.
This is usually a result of them not having hired a capable, senior member with the right capabilities to lead the team. Or it can be a result of not having the right systems in place to be able to lead a more senior person and set them up for a leadership role.
Often, farming owners and leaders see hiring a senior staff member as an expensive exercise, not only from a time perspective to recruit the right person, but also the added cost of remuneration that comes with the responsibility.
Investing in infrastructure such as fencing, livestock handling facilities, and upgraded machinery or technology can make a farm more efficient. But efficiency alone doesn’t create growth. Growth requires people. When it comes time to expand into other enterprises, having someone accountable for operations allows you to step away from the day-to-day and focus on the bigger picture.
To really expand an operation and still be present for your family, having good people around you who can take on additional responsibility in your business is a key element. If you are constantly holding your manager’s hand, and they’re unable to handle the pressure of the business, then you’ll struggle to scale and grow your business.
Top Four Tips
Allocate the Time
This is a crucial component in your business. Dedicate the time to finding the right person. Don’t just rely on putting an advertisement up to find the right person. Meet with people on a regular basis and build your talent bench. If you don’t have the time, hire a strategic recruiter who will sit down with you to understand the business, the business’s needs, and the type of person you want and strategically select talent.
Managing yourself
Most farming owners and leaders are perfectionists, and all have a particular way of carrying out tasks. The reality is that not everything is going to be done the same way you’d approach it. There’s value in giving a manager the autonomy to complete a task their way, and you never know, they might have a more efficient approach that you choose to adopt. As a leader in your operation, it’s important to know when to let go and when to step in and provide guidance.
Manuals/ Inductions/ First Six months
When onboarding a new manager, it’s important to set up a program that maps out what success looks like. Set the expectations early and check in on a regular basis to provide an opportunity for learning and guidance. Take the time to understand what responsibilities they would like to take on and tailor a plan around this to suit your operations’ needs.
Structure
People like structure, and they like to have clear direction from the leader. Often, farming businesses are chaotic, and they are constantly changing, but having time set aside for weekly, daily and monthly meetings helps. Every business is busy, but unless you set the structure up early and make it work, it won’t happen. Having the ability to constantly debrief and provide feedback in the right way is critical to setting up a manager or team for success.
Taking the time out of your business to recruit a capable manager to take on responsibility can create opportunity and open doors for expansion. The wrong hire can cost a business, so taking the time to recruit and invest in the right people is just as important as investing in infrastructure.
