Process Consultation by Edgar H. Schein I've been getting a lot of opportunities lately to facilitate small groups of farm owners and managers. My background is in Organization Development (OD) and I am so grateful for the training I received in process consultation during my Ph.D program at Penn State. One of the core textbooks that we … Continue reading Group Process is Fascinating!
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One of the characteristics of great leaders is understanding your people and finding ways to capitalize on their strengths to benefit both the individual and the organization.Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole is frustrating for everyone, it doesn't feel right for the employee and the manager doesn't get the results that … Continue reading Do You Have Any Squares?
Producers should take time to audit and correct their employee documentation just in case some form of immigration enforcement takes place. This article from Western Grower's, a producer organization in California and Arizona is helpful. I am available to help producers audit and correct their own employee documentation. Contact me to discuss.
Culture is like an iceberg, there's a part that is visible above the surface but there's a whole lot more of the iceberg that is harder to see below the surface. I studied German language in college and learned about that country's history and customs. Later, I had the opportunity to study for a semester … Continue reading Control Your Culture
I have talked with many farmers over the years who firmly state that they would not be in business if it weren't for immigrant workers. They will also firmly repeat the familiar line that "Americans just won't do this type of work." We may be heading for a time when the truth of both of … Continue reading Contingency Planning: What if immigrant workers are not available?
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." - Stephen Covey Just because a person is in a leadership position doesn't mean they are a leader. I have known people in positions of authority who could control assets such as money, positions, and other resources who really weren't leading anyone, they were merely controlling them. … Continue reading Leaders Seek Understanding
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.
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
Ag Workforce Development 