Managing yourself and your business in the face of change

Introduction

Change is something we deal with every day so it is our ability to embrace change that determines how successful we are in the future. Change can provide many challenges and discomfort and you quite often feel as though you are swimming against the tide. Learning to swim against the tide is what surfers must do to venture far enough into the sea to catch a desirable wave, and therefore, make it all worthwhile. For many it is only a matter of a very short period of time that the surfer stands up on the board and negotiates the wave and then finds themselves back where they started; back on the beach. Having achieved this it provides the necessary motivation to do it all again. Does this sound similar to farming?

The surfer needs to understand the changes in the ocean and all its intricacies to be able to master the trade and farming is no different. Growers and advisers need to fully understand how farming is unique; a failure to do so will result in sub-optimal decisions and a possible decline in mental health. The reality of agriculture in Australia is that it is forever changing and many would say that it is happening much quicker now with climate variability, globalisation, technological advancement and competition.

Whilst growers have little control of the two most important variables in their business; climate and markets, it is how we respond and manage these two variables that have the greatest impact on us as an individual, our bottom line and overall success. It is not so much the cards that we are dealt with but the way we play them

Family farming still dominates the rural scene and is unique in that you are living on the worksite, have the business office in the family home and the family phone is the business phone. If not managed properly, these features can manifest into problems. Living on the farm can result in long hours worked and both physical and mental fatigue can set in. This can then lead to negative thinking; with growers unfairly beating themselves up and becoming withdrawn from family and friends and becoming a person they don’t really want to be. When all this is happening the quality of decision making is usually suffering. The sad fact of all of this is that many growers fail to see this happening to them, and therefore, do little to turn it around.

So the question that needs to be asked is ‘Have you had a good look in the mirror lately?’ If so, what is that mirror telling you and are you accepting what you see? Our perception is our reality and is the basis of our decision making.

Understanding the reality of your life

If you have reached middle age it is useful to reflect on the major changes that have taken place in your life to date. If I was to ask you to create six boxes and write the six major changes that have taken place in your life so far, my guess is that half would be planned and the other half would be changes that have been thrust upon you. Going away to school, getting married and leaving the family farm were all decisions I made. Having my younger brother die from Motor Neurone Disease, losing my wife, farming in the 1982 drought and having prostate cancer were all changes that were thrust upon me. It is important to realise that life is not always fair and it is the attitude you develop that determines the impact these changes will have upon you. The sooner you realise that life is not fair the quicker you come to a point of making better decisions.

Figure 1: Your perception is your reality.

We can all be looking at the same object or situation and see entirely different things. Figure 1 is a good example of this, with a change of 90 degrees in position delivering a different perception. So in making the best decision it is important that we appreciate the differences in perception and how it impacts on decision making. It goes without saying that the helicopter view is the most efficient and best to one to be in. This gives us the greatest chance of dealing with reality and basing our decisions on high probability and not just on hope. Another important aspect of perception is that we must make sure that negative events never get any bigger than they really are. There is a strong argument for playing them down because we can deal with them better if we do so. Remaining sceptical of your own beliefs is essential to learn a new and better way of doing things. Far too many growers hang onto long held beliefs and when they attend conferences all they do is sift out the pieces that reinforce what they are doing. With a more open mind a new and better way could be learned. Most of the time old tools and old thinking do not fix new problems.

Non negotiable regardless of your circumstance

• Keep choosing the best possible attitude you can muster - self talk can assist.

• Avoid the victim mentality.

• Acknowledge the good things that are happening in your life.

• Don’t let anything consume you.

• If you know you need help seek it.

• Don’t take on others’ problems when you have plenty of your own.

• Don’t stop doing the very things that sustain you.

• Don’t take your life or the world too seriously.

For these important dot points to have credibility they need to be modelled and on show at all times. In a relative short space of time my younger brother died from Motor Neurone Disease, I then lost my wife, I had prostate cancer, I became a single parent, I suffered mental health issues and I continued to work on many stressful consulting jobs. I therefore believe my experiences have been a good teacher.

When things get tight, attitude should always remain number one. Most times the outcome is closely aligned with the attitude adopted. Choosing your attitude is one thing you remain in control of regardless of the circumstances. Your attitude will determine your thinking, leadership and decision making. Aiming for perfection or excellence can be too costly both physically and mentally. You need to be reminded that a good result under the circumstances can be a fantastic outcome.

When working under pressure you will make mistakes, but mistakes are the greatest seed of learning. Forget the loss and learn the lesson. Never be too proud to apologise if your decisions have impacted others. Continue to place genuine deposits in others’ emotional bank accounts so they will do likewise for you. Life is usually mirrored back to us, remember others also have needs; life is not just about you.

Even in tight times you still need to find ways to reward yourself; if all they can be is small, so be it. Life is built around the Stimulus-Response- Reward cycle whether we realise or agree with it.

Figure 2: Stimulus, response and reward cycle.

Reward should not be seen only in monetary terms. Spending more time with the family, a weekend camping or a meal at the pub can fit the bill.

Managing change starts with a set of non-negotiables. Planning and preparation remain at the core of good business management regardless of the prevailing circumstances and an ability to flex with the circumstances is essential. Quite often your success is proportionate to the quality of your fall-back position. Make sure the head not the heart is making the decision. For planning and preparation to be effective, priorities and discipline become equally important. Quite often the only difference between the top and average operators is timing and the level of discipline. When addressing priorities in life it can be very useful to write them down. It will then become clearer where and how you spend your time.

Your priorities should rarely change

1. Yourself - physical and mental health – performance.
2. Your family – love, support and responsibility.
3. Your business – meaningful work, livelihood.
4. Your personal priorities – relief valves.
5. Your friends – fun.
6. Your community – takes the focus away from yourself.
7. Others –citizenship.

The above list is the desired priority order of the most important aspects of your life. Many growers allow the business to become the number one priority and over time it becomes a hidden addiction at the cost of your own well-being and the relationships you have within your family. By doing this you are indirectly saying that the business is more important than your loved ones.

Figure 3: Reliance on farming for our self-worth.

To gain a true perspective of what a farming addiction is, it may be best to observe and understand the parallels with drug addiction i.e. dependence, cost, health decline and inward thinking. Many growers as with drug addicts will deny their addiction and wonder why their situation never improves. Burying yourself in work can be a coping strategy but should never be allowed to become the norm.

Even in tough times we should continue to acknowledge what the top 20 per cent or ‘crackerjacks’ are doing

Learn from the ‘crackerjacks’, they manage change the best

The crackerjacks possess the following attributes:

• High level of discipline – don’t pass the buck.
• Timeliness and time management.
• Open mind – think outside the square.
• Strong work ethic.
• Planning and preparedness.
• Keep learning – innovate.
• Monitor and review.
• Reward themselves continually.
• Don’t make the same mistake twice.
• Eliminate lowest returning activities.
• Deal with the brutal facts of all situations.
• Mix with positive people.
• Keep good records.
• Have a good business team around them.

Regardless of the season or the circumstance these should never change. First and foremost they are all driven by attitude and you can always choose your attitude.

Attitude can be governed by the amount and quality of sleep you have. Sleep in life is a close second to oxygen in sustaining good health. If sleep is in short supply and you know that you need more of it, you must act now. In my most difficult times I was surviving on one and half hours of sleep a night over a four month period. On reflection I don’t know how I remained functional and productive.

Strategies for overcoming lack of sleep when change is challenging you

• At the end of the working day have a de-brief with your partner.

• Write down all the things that are cluttering your mind.

• Have farming black out time after the evening meal.

• Find good diversionary tactics to take your mind away from the farm.

• Practice visualisation of tomorrow and maybe the next week.

• Take the telephone off the hook.

• Do more activity that induces sleep. 

• Is your bed comfortable enough – you spend a third of your life on your bed.

• Change your patterns in search of something better.

• If all this fails, you need to seek medical help.

Remember one hour of extra sleep a night is equal to an extra night of sleep a week.

From my experience worry is most often the root cause of sleep deprivation. Worry is usually brought about by a lack of information and action and a feeling of not being in control. I am constantly reminded of the old adage ‘Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due’. Research tells us that we have cause to worry on only five to 10 per cent of the issues in our life. A lot of our worry is about things that have happened in the past or things that are out of our control, both of which we cannot change. 

Achievement, success or change is usually the best antidote for tough times. Continuing to set and achieve meaningful tasks or projects should take place. When the season fails and you have a physical drought one year and a financial drought the second year, this should not prevent you from tackling as many of the jobs that you have on the long term list as you would in a normal season.

Good time management in a changing environment remains a given

One constant in everybody’s life is the amount of time we have. Regardless of whether you are rich or poor we all have 168 hours at our disposal each week. Managing your time is just as, if not more important as managing your money. It is how you use your time that determines how much money you make.

Work-life balance remains critical when the situation is tight. Work-life balance for me is 56 hours of work, 56 hours of sleep and 56 hours of please yourself each week.

56 hours of work = 5 days x 10 hours plus 6 hours on the weekend. 56 hours of sleep = 8 hours x 7 nights. 56 hours of other = family, community, recreation, rest.

Remember it is the work you put into your time that is more important than the time you put into your work. It is about being productive but also efficient.

Issues that underpin better time management

• Paretto Principle -20 per cent of your time gives you 80 per cent of your results.

• 10 minutes a day equals one week per year.

• Minimum of 2.5 weeks of holiday per year.

• Two to three long weekends a year.

• Spend one per cent of gross income on training.

• Timing is not something, it is everything.

• Planning and preparation are the key.

Table 1: Comparing employer-employee work input.

Employee	Weeks	Owner Manager	Weeks
Full year	52	Full year	52
Holidays	-4	Holidays	-2.5
Public Holidays	-2	Public Holidays	-.5
Sick Leave	-1	Sick Leave	-.5
Prof Develop	-1	Prof Develop	-1
Kids & Community	0	Kids & Community	-.5
Productive Weeks	44 weeks	Productive Weeks	47 weeks
Hours per Week	38 hours	Hours per Week	56 hours
Hours per Year	1672	Hours per Year	2632
Labour Unit	1	Labour Units	1.6
Employment Cost	$60,000	Employment Cost	$40/ha
Cost per hour	$36/hr	Total Cost Manager	$105,000

Table 1 compares the standard working week of an employee to that of the employer who is working an average of 56 hours a week or 1.6 labour units. When trying to substantiate the 2,632 hours worked by the owner manager it is very difficult to ascertain what the last 20 per cent of the time put in is actually spent on. Be fair with your expectations and appreciate how much pressure you are putting on yourself.

Further tips for managing yourself in a changing world.

Weekly meetings

The first thing to do in a weekly meeting is to acknowledge the good achievements of the past week. Then plan the next week so we share the load and know what each other’s expectations are. Some may be a bit high; we are our own worst enemy at times.

Jobs you have wanted to do for a long time

With the dry season you may set time aside to do that job that has been in need of doing for years. The completion of this will lead to great satisfaction and may provide motivation for others

Get on the phone

Remember ringing a friend or business contact interstate is no more difficult than ringing your next door neighbour. Distance is no excuse.

One night out a week

Because growers live on the worksite the issues in a dry season are visual all the time. One night out a week is something to look forward to and a break from the routine. Visiting friends or going out for a counter tea are simple and easy to organise for most.

Weekend away

Same as the previous one, if possible make it a three day weekend and if you have daily feeding and water checks then having a reciprocal assistance program with a neighbour is not too hard to arrange.

Holidays

Remember the importance of giving your vehicles an oil change and a grease. Whilst money may be tight I still consider as a minimum a 10 day holiday. In a normal family it is a five way oil, change and service; you your partner and three kids. Remember what the oil looks like when the service is overdue. Give yourself and your family a service.

Do more with your kids

Your kids have other interests and for most parents are a great source of satisfaction and joy. Turn the TV off and start having a conversation. It is a good time to find out some things about your kids that you never knew.

Mixing with a person or people that make you feel good

Positive and humorous people are usually great to spend time with and a good belly laugh is better than what a doctor can prescribe. These people can drag your mind away from your everyday grind.

Be spontaneous 

It may be getting late in the day and getting the evening meal may be a chore. Forget it and drive to town to buy fish and chips and enjoy it in the park. Or ring the neighbour early enough and tell them you have tea cooking for them.

The little things become big things

Praise, thanks and compliments are so important. If you practice these then a better life will be mirrored back to you.

Getting your priorities right 

Health, family and business are the priorities and in that order. Most of us reverse the order and wonder why our health is not as good as it should be. Diet and fitness play their part.

Some questions to ask yourself or to reflect upon

• For most it is not how high you fly but how well you bounce.
• Is your farm your servant or master – 60 + hours = master.
• To get the right balance between you and your family you need the right balance in yourself
• Asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness.
• You cannot take your crops/stock to town when you retire but you do take your relationships.
• When you are no longer a grower you will still hopefully be a father/mother and husband/wife.
• Machinery maintenance we know but what about marriage and relationship maintenance.
• In adversity there is the seed of an equal or greater opportunity.
• Change is not compulsory but neither is survival.
• Survival is predicated on change.
• Doing nothing is still a decision.

Summary

We grow up learning and believing in fairness and most aspire to be fair in what they do. I have found for many people that life is not fair. Pain and suffering is inflicted upon so many innocent, caring and law abiding citizens. It is only when we accept that life is not fair that we are able to move on. Unfortunately we have to take the good and the bad to make the good better.

Farming is characterised by extremes and this means two thirds of the profits being made in one third of the years. This being the case you need to ensure that you can capitalise on a good year when it comes along. Our focus needs to be on what needs to be done to ensure that 2016/17 is as good a year as it can be.

Don’t ever lose sight of the good aspects of your farm and life in general. It is far too easy to be consumed by negativity when change is impacting heavily upon you. If you are finding it is difficult to move on, then you need assistance to do so. Make the call now.

Useful resources

Building Resilience at Work – Kathryn McEwen

Contact details

Ken Solly
Solly Business Services
Naracoorte SA 5271
0427 620895
kensolly@rbm.com.au