Balancing productivity and people in the agricultural industry
The agricultural industry has seen a significant shift in people management recently.
Businesses are evolving from focusing solely on tasks and productivity to balancing these with a people-oriented approach.
This shift has given many agricultural businesses a competitive edge in recruiting and retaining staff. But what does it mean to focus on the people aspects of business?
By cultivating a team who feel valued and empowered, businesses can boost productivity and efficiency while working towards maximising profits.
I’ve worked with agricultural businesses excelling in this balance, and some navigating cultural shifts to prioritise their people in achieving strategic objectives. These businesses harness three key elements impacting team culture: leadership, business context, and team dynamics.
Effective leadership is foundational. Leaders must develop core skills such as self-awareness, communication, relationship management, and understand the motivational and developmental needs of their team.
The leadership team sets the vision, values, standards, culture, and strategic direction. Role modelling is critical.
A manager I work with uses a shared vocabulary to emphasise accountability, connects financial results to daily tasks, and incorporates values into the induction program, performance reviews, meetings and team development.
By incorporating values into processes and daily work, these can be embedded into the culture.
The structure of a business profoundly influences its people dynamics. Traditionally, agricultural businesses have been hierarchical, favouring an autocratic leadership approach with centralised decision-making. This often leads to a lack of buy-in, commitment and accountability within a team.
It can foster mistrust between upper and lower management, dysfunctional teams and disengaged employees. Seeing businesses move to a decentralised approach has exemplified how granting autonomy, trust, and involvement in decision-making processes can be a powerful motivator.
The last element is your team. An employee value proposition helps highlight key benefits and culture to draw in people who are aligned with your business.
Teams thrive in environments where they feel valued and empowered. This involves providing necessary training and resources and influencing a culture of open communication and mutual respect. Understanding and addressing the unique needs and motivations of team members is crucial for maintaining high levels of engagement and productivity.
Balancing productivity with a strong focus on people is not just a trend but a necessity for modern agricultural businesses.
The Future Farmers Network (FFN) is a prime example of promoting this balance and will continue to do so through its range of initiatives to help young people in agriculture.
- By Claudia Mitchell, a people and culture consultant of The Capacity Co and board member of Future Farmers Network.