Question everything!
- How do you keep our conversations private and safe?
We are professional coaches, your conversations with us are 100% confidential. In family meetings you are the one expressing your intentions. Our coaches will facilitate a safe and respectful meeting place. We do not condone profanity or disrespectful behaviour. Everyone gets a voice and a talking stick is used to help dissuade interruptions. We will not relay messages between family members. The intention of our sessions is to help you feel safe and respected so you can share openly and honestly to get to the heart of the issue.
- What does coaching require time-wise?
Each family is unique. We first ask every member of the family, farm and non-farm, spouses included, to complete a personal profile and key challenge audit. Then we set up private couple coaching sessions to uncover expectations, intentions, and conflict issues that need resolution. These calls take 60 to 90 minutes per couple and can be done on the phone or preferably via zoom. Recordings of the sessions are sent to you. Then the family meets via zoom for 2 hours to unpack our discoveries and create a plan for next action steps. A family of parents, 3 adult children would take about 7 hours of coaching time. In the following months, your chosen coach will check in with you and schedule more meetings if needed, as well as act as your accountability partner.
- How do you bill for your expertise?
Our coaching agreement asks for a $1500 retainer to hold your spot for coaching. The billable hourly rate is $350, about half the price of a bag of seed canola. You are billed for the hours spent on your file plus GST (if Canadian client), and the retainer is part of your payment and reflected on your invoice. Conflict profile assessments and personal style indicators are billed as extra per person costs, about $55 each.
- How can I get better at understanding my conflict behaviour?
Our coaching team uses an online Conflict Dynamic profile that can help you see what you are good at doing, and the not so helpful habits you have. It also outlines your hot buttons. This self awareness costs $55 per person and gives you a report and guide to make improvements to your conflict resolution skills. It’s a highly valuable tool. If you would like to better understand your results and what to do about them, we can schedule coaching time to go over it. Note: this assessment is optional, according to your needs.
- Do we have to join your membership before we engage you in private coaching?
No, it’s not mandatory, but many farm families have seen greater success when they combine the membership with the private coaching. Our members enjoy the live calls and engaging with other farmers who know what they are going through. Our membership opens once per year in the fall. To get on the waitlist, visit our member page.
- What happens during the discovery call and is there a charge?
This 30-minute call is free of charge. You can use this time to clarify your main desires for coaching, draw out the family dynamic map, and assess the next steps. Visit our team page to select your preferred coach and claim your free session.
- Why do you want to speak with my accountant and lawyer?
The coaching agreement asks for permission to speak with your other advisors. As professionals we follow a code of ethics for confidentiality. Sharing insights speeds up understanding for creating solutions for your plan. Our coaches are team players so sharing expertise and client history helps us all serve you better.
- What guarantee do you have that coaching will help our family?
Short answer, none. You are responsible for doing the work and let the conversations do the heavy lifting. The role of your coach is to facilitate courageous conversations and lead from behind. Many farm families find the greatest value being able to talk to someone who truly understands agriculture and who has seen many workable family situations.
- Do you have references for your work?
Due to the confidential nature of coaching we do not share names of other clients unless they expressly allow us to do so. You can get a good sense of who we are and where we come from by reading our blogs, which each member of the coaching team has graciously contributed to. You can also listen to the Farm Family Harmony Podcast, which also has multiple interviews with each amazing member of the coaching team, allowing you to get to know each coach on a more personal level. We have decades of combined experience working with farm families in transition. I have won the Wilson Loree Award for Excellence in Farm Management as well as the Manitoba 150 Women Trailblazers award.
- Do you enjoy working with highly conflicted families?
Our dynamic team of coaches each offers their own speciality when it comes to conflict resolution and building a strong foundation of communication, connection, and culture. We are well-versed in several tactics for working with highly conflicted farm families in need of guidance. Although each coach has their own unique background in helping farm families find peace and prosperity (in all the ways) on the farm, you can rest assured that one unifying trait of each member of the coaching team is their ability to coach with empathy, positivity, and hope at the forefront.
Different is not wrong. It’s just different.
Let’s talk about creating solutions for your differences.
