Agricultural News
To Become a Better Manager: You Need to Be More Intentional and Identify Your Goals
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 21:07:32 CDT
Doing just what you intend can make the difference between a prosperous farm or ranch and one that struggles. A producer relations director for Oklahoma's Noble Research Institute says that means identifying goals.
Running a successful cattle operation starts with intentional management, but the factors to consider may not start with cattle or prices.
"To watch a short video clip featuring Hugh Aljoe, Director of Producer Relations with the Noble Research Institute, talking about the importance of strategic and intentional management of a cattle operation. click or tap the PLAYBOX in the window, below."
"It really begins with management planning. We've really got to start with: What do we want to achieve, you know, the goals of the operation, and then identify what are those metrics that are going to ensure that we get there?" asks Aljoe.
Another factor to consider? Your number one asset on the farm or ranch.
"Employees are the most valuable resource that we have to an operation. Either they make or break the operation. They either make it easier or more difficult. And if they understand the plan of the operation, understand what the--what's expected of them, they also are not only more fulfilled, but they're also more valuable to the operation."
Aljoe says starting with the end in mind will help get to where revenue exceeds expenses.
"It's all about the margins. And understanding what that target looks like depend--makes every other aspect of the operation come together. That is your goal. What is your marketing plan and how are we going to achieve it? And there's multiple ways of doing it. It's really a matter of what's going to be best fit for your resources, your skills relative to the goals you have for the operation."
Preconditioning your cattle is one management strategy that can be easily justified.
"For most operations and most producers, it's not a stretch to take a calf that you've raised on your farm, carry it a little bit longer going through a program and typically, net as much back to that 30- to 45-day phase of the operation as the calf did back to the cow-calf enterprise. And part of that is, is that we're adding value to the calf" says Aljoe.
The bottom line? Being proactive instead of reactive.
"If you want to become a better manager, you need to be more intentional. And, in order to be more intentional, you've got to have not only your processes lined up, but you've got to have your goals identified and make sure that you're always going back and checking it. You know, the management plan that we develop this year, as we track it and we make adjustments from season to season so we can refine our efforts, ultimately becomes the template for the management plan for next year. It's just a continual process. If we treat it like a business, that's the way it will look like," according to Aljoe.
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