Leadership and generations

Take home messages

• Autonomy – explore this concept and create opportunity as this will hold people to your business.
• Difference adds value so ensure differences are acknowledged and included.
• Transitions – change is constant so skill up on knowing how to transit.
• Communication – incredibly important – practice and never short-change on communication.
• Responsibility and accountability – give responsibility so there will be a sense of needing to be accountable.

Introduction

This paper supports the presentation by Affectus Managing Director, Jill Briggs at the 2018 Bendigo GRDC Farm Business Update. This paper is not a transcript of the address, rather it is the materials that have informed the address.

There are five areas to be considered during this address:

1. Autonomy.
2. Difference.
3. Transitions.
4. Communication.
5. Responsibility and accountability.

These concepts will be addressed in relation to farming and my personal farming family experience will be drawn on to illustrate some of the concepts.

Disclaimer: This paper provides general information only, current at the time of production and researched by Affectus. Any advice in it has been prepared without taking into account your personal circumstances. You should seek professional advice before acting on any material.

Let’s remember; we are all getting older… this is so important for farming businesses. Secondly, numbers are easy; people are complex, but we are going to discuss the complexity of people.

Autonomy

What is autonomy? Freedom from external control or influence; independence.

Stock and Forney (2016) who have studied farmers and autonomy have identified that farmers describe autonomy as the equivalent of being one’s own boss. They have also found that the value of autonomy for farmers and workers on farms was important and it held them to their job. Is this true when we consider the reality of farming? Being your own boss is incredibly important and possibly even more so when you consider for many in farming, control is something that can be limited – weather, pricing, finances… these are not always in the control of farmers but to be able to be autonomous about other aspects of the farming environment holds many to farming. As Stock and Forney discuss, this autonomy gives farmers a very strong sense of self that is tied to the enterprise.

For young people this is a great opportunity; to be autonomous and able to be in control of self. I have found that this is very important when I observe our three-generational farm. But there has been tension there also… allowing the younger generation to ‘have a go’ versus ‘being careful’.

What are the questions we can ask ourselves and those working in our enterprise to assist with autonomy?

At a management level:

• Are you interested in working alone?
• How will I ensure that you are performing your role?
• What will the reporting back process look like?

At an operational level:

• Can you explain to me what the task is? – then I won’t have to tell you what to do.
• Can you see how this fits in with all of the components of this task/business unit?
• What do you think needs to be done now, tomorrow, next week?

When this concept of autonomy is considered, leadership on this matter then needs to be undertaken. Who should take the lead on this matter and how will it impact the enterprise?

The leadership on this matter can be assisted by understanding the Hersey and Blanchard model.

Hersey and Blanchard framework can assist us with our process of providing autonomy. But you must commit to watching and understanding, whether you are the junior person or the senior person.

Analyse what a team and/or an individual need, which gives rise to four leadership styles (Table 1).

Table 1. Leadership styles within the Hersey and Blanchard model.

Difference and its value

What are the differences that are often present in farming enterprises? Generational difference is the most common difference.

Looking at generational difference.

So, the great thing about our business is that there are three generations, and this creates tension and tension is ok, as long as communication is healthy and skilled. Difference is valuable for farming, it brings ideas and change. Difference is not evil.

Table 2. Generational differences in a snap shot.

(Source: Hobby Central RC)

There are many charts about generational differences and it is valuable to understand that these are not prescriptive, they are broadly descriptive.

What are the questions we can ask ourselves and those working in our enterprise about generational difference?

At a management level:

• What generations are represented in our enterprise?
• How can we understand the differences so that they will be helpful rather than a hindrance?
• What blocks are clear from Table 2?
• What are the gifts that the different generations can give to each other?

At an operational level:

• This is how I learn – can we find a way to learn that works for us all and the business?
• How can we keep you interested and employed?
• When can we talk about how you are performing?

Transition and decision-making

Transition is about change, and therefore, we need to understand our responses to change.

Behaviours of change

Immobilisation -> Denial -> Incompetence -> Acceptance -> Testing -> Searching for Meaning -> Integration.

This is particularly important for the younger generation. We need to know how to assist those around us – particularly how to assist those around us who have built an ‘empire’ and continue to see their own vision. The questions that assist with people moving through the behaviours of change are illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Questions to assist people moving through the behaviours of change (Source: Club Soda).

What are the questions we can ask ourselves and those working in our enterprise about transition and change?

At a management level:

• What change is upon us and in the future?
• How have we dealt with change in the past? And how can we do it better in the future?
• How can we make the people in our enterprise feel comfortable about the changes?

At an operational level:

• This is what is happening – how can we get through this change?
• What is concerning you and how can we make it easier for you?
• When can we talk about your response to change?

Communication

What is the importance of communication? It is everything.

Small businesses have enormous opportunity to communicate effectively due to the lack of encumbrances of large organisational structures and processes. The essence of communication is about ensuring the following elements are considered:

• Minimise power imbalances.
• Ensure you can hear each other.
• Listening is the most important element.
• Feedback loops need to be present.
• Technology is helpful and can be a hindrance.
• Suspending judgement.

Figure 2 illustrates how communication happens.

Figure 2. Illustration of the essence of communication.

Accountability and responsibility

The cycle illustrated in Figure 3 can be used in developing your ideas and seeing them through.

Figure 3. Illustration of stages from developing an idea through to making it happen (Source: CDS Consulting).

Contact details

Jill Briggs
jill@affectusaus.com.au