We are in winter prep mode. We are bringing cattle home from lease pastures and making sure everything is in place to handle a foot of snow should it come. One benefit provided by the seasonality of farming in a northern climate is the relative downtime winter provides. Winter allows for reflection time and rest. It is also a time to invest in continuing education and peer support.

Reflection, curiosity, and continuing education are a learned and intentional part of how we run our farm in southwestern Manitoba. Reflective questions help us make decisions for what we might need to change or do differently in the future – “What are the things we need to learn about and integrate to make our business and family dynamic and farm better?”

As entrepreneurs and producers, we often focus heavily on production, marketing, and finance. These are good things, and certainly play a role in some of the questions asked above. One particular area that we have been exploring more on our farm and business, and that I often encourage other entrepreneurs to invest more in via my facilitation work, is Human Resource training.

Human Resources training, or the people side of things, is particularly helpful if you have employees or are working multigenerationally. It can also help with spousal and sibling partnerships.

Here are some key areas that fall under Human Resources Management – where skills development can be as critical for your operation as your production and marketing plan:

Staff Training and Retention:
We need people to work on our farms. We require the skills and abilities to provide training and upskilling opportunities for ourselves and also for staff and the next generation. There is a huge incentive to retain key talent and skilled labour to ensure continuity and to capture intergenerational knowledge.

Staff training and retention efforts can have a significant impact on farm and ranch culture, too. Providing learning and training opportunities, seeking feedback, or simply posting a sign that says “We care” (while you also act like you care) can make a huge difference. Compensation can also be an issue impacting staff retention, so a company culture that improves profitability and reduces waste (in the form of time and material waste), and focuses on livable wages can make a big difference.

Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skill Building:
If you are looking for some skill-building that can change your workplace for the better, and help you raise your kids and get along with your spouse, you can start here. Conflict is everywhere, and it is not bad. You can be in a good conflict.

Years ago, when I started taking conflict resolution and mediation training, my ‘aha’ moment was when I realized that conflict skills are real, and unskilled or destructive conflict is preventing people from more creative forms of conflict and problem solving. A major issue in farm transitions, family business, and workplaces is unspoken and unresolved conflict.

Conflict resolution and mediation skills can also help when having difficult conversations around implementing new policies and best practices, or exploring complex or new governance and role clarity on the farm. Many institutions and organizations provide in-person and online learning. I can sit at my farm kitchen table in Manitoba and take a course from the Justice Institute of BC in Vancouver, or, I have the option of going to take an in-person course at Mediation Services in Winnipeg.

Cultural and Organizational Alignment:
What is the culture of your farm? What are your values? Knowing your culture and discussing your values can help bring you into organizational and familial alignment. Values are not prescribed, but discussed, and embraced. You have individual values and organization values. Do you value honesty, cooperation, independence, security, or is it courage, accountability, compassion, and creativity? There are many more, and there is no wrong answer here. What is important is to ensure alignment between family values and business goals.

What happens when different family members or family units in the business value different things? Perhaps exploring core values is more central, and training can give you the skills to do and lead effectively. Having a clear set of core values can help with leadership integration, next-generation transition, and founders’ exit.

Policy and Governance:
One recommendation for young farmers as you step into management and leadership on your own farm is to seek out opportunities to sit on a volunteer board and take advantage of learning about governance and policy outside the farm.

So often on the farm, the rules are not written, but held in stories, histories, and memory. It can be really helpful to explore, practice, and implement policies that clarify expectations around things like compensation, perks, and workplace accountability, and to have a more professional standard in a family-run environment where people might make assumptions about what others are supposed to be doing.

Having a space and some skills to explore policy and governance does not mean you need to take the fun out of farming, but that there is clarity around roles, responsibilities, performance, asset transfer, and transition, among other things. You might also have policies around safety and equipment use, social media, sourcing, and family member engagement.

Managing Family and Non-family Dynamics:
It is important to appreciate and navigate the complexity of relationships and family histories within a family business. This can be a difficult and ongoing challenge that requires skill building and personal and team work. Appreciating the unique dynamics between family members and employees can be key to the sustainability and future success of the farm or ranch.

If you have non-family employees who play a significant role in the current and future success of your business, it is important to have objective criteria for fair treatment of both non-family and family workers throughout the business transition. When leadership changes, it is important to communicate clearly with employees and ensure that members of the leadership team have the training to support the continuity of employee satisfaction as well as their own confidence in leading a team, whether it be family members or non-family employees.

Investing in leadership training can build additional trust among team members and also reduce destructive conflict cycles.

Did you enjoy Building HR Skills for a Stronger Family Business? You might want to check these articles out, too:

7 Ways to Streamline Your Farm Transition Process
How To Save On Your Next Accounting Bill
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