September 2008<\/p>\n
Harvest is a favorite time of year. As a combined driver, I join the excitement of bringing in the crop as efficiently as possible. I enjoy long hours of solitude on the field, with lots of time to ponder what\u2019s happening in life. I am sometimes interrupted by loud \u201cthunks\u201d when the header plugs, or the frustration of catching a clump of mud, but usually things get back into the flow.<\/p>\n
Plugging the combine is a great metaphor for resistance. You can\u2019t push too much too fast through the powerful machine. People are like that. Farm people are going through tremendous changes again this year with new challenges, and we get frustrated when our family doesn\u2019t want what we want.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you want what I want?\u201d is the title of Rick Maurer\u2019s practical book on working through three levels of resistance. Level 1: \u201cI don\u2019t get it.\u201d Level 2: \u201cI don\u2019t like it.\u201d And Level 3: \u201cI don\u2019t trust you.\u201d Maurer believes we can muster support for our ideas without the hard sell, manipulation or power plays. He encourages readers to stay engaged with the person \u2014 seek understanding, favorable reactions, and develop trust.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve experienced resistance to change in farm families when I\u2019ve tried to present too many ideas for change too quickly. Things plug up fast when people aren\u2019t given time to see the same picture we see. Maurer writes, \u201cWhen people are afraid they will lose something important when their fear response kicks in\u2026their emotional brain take over and limit their ability to stay engaged with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smooth combine operators make sure they feed the machine with a good consistent speed, checking the monitors. We need to check our understanding with our families, planting seeds of change gradually, and paying attention to emotional monitors.<\/p>\n
Beeping in the cab alerts us to problems with the combine. With people, the signals are not so obvious. How do we know that we are listening to the other person\u2019s viewpoints and that they understand ours? Are they reacting negatively or positively? Is there sufficient trust between us for them to support us?<\/p>\n
Maurer suggests six principles of engagement to help move through resistance:<\/p>\n
Know your intention<\/em>. Focus on issues instead of positions. The key intention of combining is to put all the grain in the tank, and not leave a trail of grain on the ground. The issue is trusting the guy who sets the sieves and checking the tank and the trail behind you. If you are intending to make changes in your farm family, have you developed the trust you need for support? Pay attention<\/em>. When a cutting knife breaks, you get a trail of heads standing \u2014 evidence that you need to stop and change the broken part. Do you listen to others? Do you care about what the other person has to say? Make time for feedback. Listen. Be willing to be influenced by what you hear.<\/p>\n Explore deeply<\/em>. Messing around with the concaves is exploring deeply into the guts of the combine. You hope you don\u2019t have to do this in the field, but it happens. People are afraid of the unknown, which is why farmers resist talking about a different way of working or living off the farm. Families need to find a safe way to talk and explore possibilities for common ground. Maurer says you know when you have explored enough when the person shifts from \u201cyou to us,\u201d and it feels like a weight has just lifted. \u201cHave I answered all of your questions?\u201d \u201cIs there anything I can provide for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nConsider the context<\/em>. At harvest, getting the crop off is the focus, other things are lower priority. Maybe you\u2019ve been trying to make changes with people who are just too tired to think or change! Harvest is perhaps not the best time for these conversations.
\nAvoid knee-jerk reactions. Slamming the hydrostatic lever can put your face in the windshield of your combine. You need to know your triggers or \u201chot buttons\u201d in conversations and avoid them. Your goal is to seek understanding and build commitment.<\/p>\n