You already have operating procedures in your business. The questions you need to ask yourself are about control of those procedures. Does it matter if I have control? Do I have control of how things are done in my business? If there is no right or best way to carry out the procedures in your … Continue reading Feeling a little “out of control?” Try Standard Operating Procedures.
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My oldest daughter is 16 and she just got her permit to learn to drive. Yes, it's been two days and we've already had some white-knuckle moments, but the paint is still intact! Learning to drive is not quite the same for her as it was for me. I grew up on a farm and … Continue reading Training: Lessons from a Teenage Driver
Finding enough workers for dairy farms is one of the most intractable ag workforce development problems of our time. A group from South Dakota's dairy industry is taking a new approach with a project to recruit workers from Puerto Rico. I've spent time in Puerto Rico, especially out in the rural parts of the island. … Continue reading Puerto Rico: New Source for Dairy Workers?
News reports are circulating about an Idaho dairy farm that is being sued by former Mexican employees for human trafficking. The former employees, who were trained in Mexico as animal scientists, allege that the dairy attracted them to work in their field of specialty then forced them to work as general laborers. I can't comment … Continue reading No Job Description Means: Open to Lawsuit
In the Kansas workforce development study I was interested to see that employers indicated "motivation" was lacking in job applicants. The trouble with this thought process is that it is difficult to gauge motivation in an applicant. The other trouble is that employers have a lot to do with the motivation of their employees. Motivation … Continue reading Motivation
Kansas brings to mind waving wheat fields and big agriculture for most people. I was once part of the Kansas agricultural workforce, as a combine operator on the summer wheat harvest. I loved that big open country with its impressive thunderstorms, endless sunshine, hot winds, and jackrabbits. I wasn't quite as fond of getting stuck … Continue reading Kansas Studies Their Ag Workforce Development Needs
What is workforce development?
Ag Workforce Development 