Don Tyler

Being “Fair”

I grew up with three brothers and three sisters, so my Mom had to have the wisdom of Solomon, and the ESP of The Amazing Kreskin.  We rarely got away with anything.  She was a substitute teacher for awhile at our local Jr. High School, and after the first class that she taught on her first day our friends were telling us, “She really does have eyes in the back of her head!  We tried every stunt that we play on new subs, and she just laughed!  She had her back to us, writing on the chalk board, and she knew who threw the spit wad without even turning around!  She called them by name!”

Having an optimistic nature is a requirement for a person to even consider agriculture as a profession.  The ups and downs of agriculture that are regularly served up courtesy of the weather, the markets, equipment breakdowns, and the occasional “stuff happens” are what we grow to accept as a part of the business.

When nearly all the challenges of agriculture align with a severely negative bias, and that negativity continues for a much longer duration than grandpa can remember, our emotional foundations start to weaken.  For some, it is foreign territory and they become emotionally disoriented to the extent that they fail to function within their own established range of normalcy.  The talkative ones go dormant, and the more reserved become even more distant.  We see frustration where we used to see logic, and the visionary struggles to just get through today.

With the “new” flu virus dominating the headlines and our industry being one of the hardest hit, this is a critical time for us to spread the message that our products are safe. You might have received the informative e-mails from industry groups and other producers, but have you multiplied its message?

I don’t forward many e-mails, but this matter is an exception. The information that the average consumer is getting from the traditional media lacks the emphasis needed to reassure consumers of the safety of pork. It is also not focusing on the impact that this near-pandemic is having on the lives of producers and their employees.

Making the Tough Decisions:

The current economic crisis has put some producers in a position that they have never before seen…the need to cut salaries or even lay off some employees.  Family businesses tend to have close relationships with the people who work for them due to hiring predominantly local people who are often long-term family friends, the long and irregular work hours, the tough weather conditions, and their closeness to the land and livestock.

Changes in Motivational Factors:

The change in the economic outlook has had an interesting impact on how employees rate their “Motivational Factors” at work.  First, some background:

There are two types of motivators—Intrinsic and Extrinsic.  Extrinsic factors include material rewards such as: bonuses; gift cards; trips; pay increases; etc.  The “Carrot at the end of the stick” so to speak.

 

Over the last two months several of the livestock operations that I work with have had a new experience—they are getting several applicants for open positions.  There are some regional differences, and not every area is seeing this change, but it is a noticeable pattern and one that bears watching.

Counseling Employees on Finances:

More and more of my clients are having difficulty with their employees who are in a personal financial mess.  Tough economic times tend to expose the strengths and weaknesses of people’s overall money management.  Sometimes they try to maintain their regular spending habits with credit without the thought that eventually they have to pay the bill.

Preventing Burnout During Stressful Times

The normal challenges of weather and markets in agriculture provide enough stress for the average producer to re-think their career choice on an annual—or maybe even a weekly—basis.  This self-assessment rarely lasts past the next day, when the combine is fixed, the markets are up and the sun comes out.  Unfortunately, this year has been the most challenging one that many producers can remember and stress levels have remained high throughout the fall.

The Role of Patriarch

A Strategic Plan for Labor: