The purpose of this article is to increase your comfort level in performance discussions. There are two types of performance discussions. The first focuses on training and assigning new tasks and/or responsibilities. The second is providing feedback on the execution of those tasks and responsibilities. The focus of this article is the latter – feedback – although all but the first section applies to both.

An important and often overlooked ingredient for skilled and engaged employees is investing in their growth and development.

"If you don't drive your business, you will be driven out of business.” This quote is by B. C. Forbes, the founder of Forbes Magazine, and runs doubly true for farms and businesses with more than one key owner or leader.

Beef production business and ranch managers have been anticipating and preparing for the fall busy season including weaning, selling calves, vaccinations, fall calving, etc., for weeks. Now it is time for managers to be doers. Right? Well, yes and no.

What makes the difference between employees who are happy at work and those who are miserable? 

Vous venez d'embaucher un nouvel employé - que vous souhaitez excellent. Vous espérez qu'il sera productif et qu'il restera dans l'entreprise pendant de nombreuses années, voire toute sa carrière. Le présent article porte sur la manière d’en maximiser la probabilité.

As you know, beef production businesses cannot completely stop for holidays. You and your employees, however, are members of families and social groups that have holiday expectations, traditions and plans. 

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” Since this quote is from Henry Ford, it is approximately a century old. If this was true for his assembly line workers, it certainly is even more true today.

“The process of ensuring the new employee has a great start, becomes engaged and stays is called onboarding.” Onboarding is more than just the orientation and training that have traditionally been our focus for new employees.

Unmet expectations for performance and behavior are likely the greatest stressor for most, if not all, supervisors. A failure to meet animal or crop goals, arriving late for work and skipping an assigned task are all examples of unmet expectations.