Successful farm management is not just about figures, technology and specialist knowledge. After all, at the end of the day, it is always people who make the decisions. We spoke to coach and mediator Kay Tönnsen about the issues that concern farm managers, families and staff in their day-to-day lives.
“What do we really want as people? What do we really want as a family?” These are the two questions Kay Tönnsen poses. There is no simple answer – because it is different for each of us. Kay Tönnsen sees first-hand every day in his work as a coach, mediator and trainer with farming families that mental and interpersonal issues are becoming increasingly important in agriculture too. The demands placed on farm managers are more complex today than ever before. As well as making technical and business decisions, they must also meet expectations within the family, amongst staff and in their personal lives. When conflicts arise in these areas, there is often a growing need for clarity and guidance – a challenge that many face, and one they do not have to face alone.
People and their needs
In family-run farms, three generations often work side by side: the retiring generation, the generation taking over, and the younger generation. Added to this are employees, parents or neighbours. This close-knit community can become a challenge, particularly during the handover of the farm. “We can’t view this objectively; we are people with needs and feelings,” says Kay Tönnsen. Whilst many of those involved resolve to resolve conflicts as objectively as possible, family businesses do not operate solely on the basis of objective criteria. Expectations, experiences and emotions shape decisions just as much as operational facts.
Yet it is precisely these issues that are often discussed too little. Much remains unsaid because open communication is not a given. This makes it all the more important to take the needs of everyone involved seriously – their need for security, appreciation and recognition, as well as for transparency and information.
“Don’t make such a scene, it’ll be just fine.”
“That’s the worst thing you can say,” says Kay Tönnsen. The first step, he says, is to recognise that everyone feels things differently and has different needs. It all starts with taking the other person seriously. Of course, a traditional value system has its place too. At the same time, one’s own past experiences shape one’s present expectations and needs. That is why a change of perspective can help. What if one’s own expectations aren’t fully met, but one’s son or daughter would be significantly happier following a different path? Saying, ‘Just think outside the box’ – that wouldn’t achieve anything.
Communication and employees
Agricultural businesses often face a dilemma: during busy periods, there is a shortage of staff, whilst in quieter times there is not always enough work for everyone. Many farm managers try to cope with these peaks themselves – often at the expense of their own workload. However, it is just as important to be prepared to give employees some breathing space when there is less work. Artificially creating work ultimately helps no one – neither the farm nor the staff. Motivating staff and managing them productively is one of the most important tasks of a farm manager today. Very few, however, have been taught how to do this. “You become a farmer out of an interest in crop production or livestock farming – not because you fancy having ten staff,” says Kay Tönnsen. This makes it all the more important to develop one’s skills in leadership and communication.
Tönnsen illustrates this particularly clearly with the ‘communication ladder’:
- Thinking is not yet speaking,
- speaking is not yet hearing,
- hearing is not yet understanding,
- understanding is not yet agreeing, and
- agreeing is not yet implementing.
People always act on the basis of their own expectations and experiences. If misunderstandings arise, it is therefore worth first looking at one’s own part in the matter. “What part did I actually play in this going wrong?”, suggests Kay Tönnsen.
Communication takes time
Time to explain tasks calmly, to check in along the way and to review together whether everything has been understood. This is particularly difficult during busy periods. Nevertheless, this investment pays off. Those who communicate clearly, even under time pressure, avoid misunderstandings, reduce errors and get their staff on board.
Therefore, successful business management does not begin with strategies, investments or machinery. It begins with the people who make decisions, take responsibility and shape the business together.
